(Why It’s Not Just for Homesteaders and How to Bring It Into Your Busy Life)
When you hear the phrase slow living, what comes to mind?
Be honest.
Is it a woman in a linen dress, sipping coffee on her wrap-around porch while the chickens roam free in the yard? A handmade sourdough loaf cooling on the counter? A wood-burning stove? A pantry stocked with jars of things she actually canned herself?
Yeah. Me too.
For the longest time, I thought slow living was only for people who had acres of land, endless time, and a knack for homesteading. I figured it was for people who could literally opt out of the busy world: people who didn’t have carpool schedules, laundry piles, or bosses asking “can you hop on a quick call?” at 4:59 p.m.
But here’s the thing: that’s a stereotype.
Slow living isn’t about chickens, sourdough, or stepping away from modern life entirely.
It’s about creating intention within your actual moments. Yes, even if those moments include school drop-off lines, a stack of emails, and a toddler melting down because you cut their toast wrong.
This is the new view on slow living: it’s not about where you live, what you own, or how many hours a day you spend gardening. It’s about the pace you create within your life as it is right now.
We live in a world that loves fast. Fast shipping. Fast food. Fast responses to texts (with read receipts on so people know you saw it).
The message is loud and clear:
If you’re not doing more, faster, you’re falling behind.
But here’s what they don’t tell you: living in a constant state of “go-go-go” isn’t sustainable.
For moms especially, it’s not just exhausting, it’s soul-draining. We’re already carrying so much: raising humans, managing a household, holding down careers, and somehow remembering to schedule dentist appointments. Add the pressure to “keep up” with everything and it’s no wonder our nervous systems feel fried.
Slow living isn’t a luxury. It’s survival.
It’s saying: My worth isn’t tied to my productivity. My life is more than my to-do list.
It’s intentionally building pauses into your day so your body, mind, and spirit can catch up with each other.
Here’s the twist: slow living doesn’t necessarily mean less.
I used to think it was about stripping everything away: fewer commitments, fewer possessions, fewer responsibilities. And while simplifying can be part of it, slow living is less about what’s on your plate and more about how you move through it.
For example:
It’s about presence, not perfection.
Motherhood is a crash course in constant motion. From the second you wake up (or, let’s be real, from the second your kid wakes you up), it’s on. The diaper changes, the school lunches, the “Mom, I can’t find my…” requests…it’s non-stop.
Slow living doesn’t mean those responsibilities disappear. It just means you approach them with a little more grounding.
Why does this matter so much for moms?
Because our pace often becomes our children’s pace.
If we’re constantly rushing, multitasking, and sighing our way through the day, they feel it. But when we intentionally slow down (even in small ways) we model something different. We show them that life isn’t just about getting to the next thing. It’s about being here for this thing.
And honestly? It’s not just for their benefit.
It’s for ours.
We deserve to actually live the moments we’re working so hard to create.
If you’re like me, you love the idea of slow living but your reality is… well, busy. The good news? You don’t have to overhaul your life to start.
Here are some modern, realistic ways to weave slowness into your everyday:
I know, I know it’s tempting to grab your phone before your feet hit the floor. But those first moments of the day set the tone. Instead of diving into notifications, try stretching, sipping water, or opening the blinds to let the light in. Two minutes is enough.
Even if your schedule is jam-packed, you can insert 30-second pauses between tasks. Step outside. Close your eyes. Take one deep breath. Small, intentional pauses add up.
Rituals don’t have to be elaborate. A favorite mug for your morning tea. Lighting a candle before starting work. Playing the same song during dinner prep. These little moments create rhythm and comfort.
You don’t have to RSVP “yes” to every invitation or sign your kids up for every activity. Protecting your energy is protecting your life.
Whether you’re cooking dinner, giving your baby a bath, or walking to the mailbox, notice what you see, hear, smell, and feel. This pulls you out of autopilot and into the now.
Click the button below to download a resource solely created to help you learn to begin romanticizing your days (&how slow living helps with this), and hence, your motherhood journey. It’s simple, it’s accessible, it’s yours for the taking.
Here’s the big “aha”: slow living has less to do with your schedule and more to do with your state.
You can have an empty calendar and still feel rushed and stressed. You can have a full one and still feel grounded. The difference is in your presence, your intention, and your willingness to slow your mind even if your day is full.
When you stop thinking of slow living as an aesthetic and start seeing it as an internal practice, it suddenly becomes accessible. No matter your lifestyle, budget, or location.
For years, I thought I couldn’t “do” slow living unless I changed everything: quit my job, moved to the country, grew my own food. But when I became a mom, I realized slow living wasn’t something I’d get to someday. It was something I desperately needed right now.
Because here’s the truth: life doesn’t magically slow down for us. We have to slow ourselves down within it.
And that’s what this new view is all about. Making intentional choices inside the life you already have, so you can actually experience it instead of just survive it.
Slow living isn’t about romanticizing life to avoid reality. It’s about grounding yourself so you can handle reality without burning out.
It’s not about a perfect morning routine or a spotless home. It’s about the way you choose to walk through your days, how you speak to yourself, how you tend to your body, how you hold space for joy even when life is messy.
You don’t have to be a homesteader, a minimalist, or a linen-wearing nature goddess to live slow. You just have to be willing to create intention in your moments.
And if you do that, even in tiny ways, you’ll start to notice it:
Life doesn’t feel like it’s rushing past you anymore.
You’re right there in the middle of it.
Awake, present, and alive to it all.
That’s the heart of slow living.
And it’s available to you right now.
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