The Gifts in Slow Activities
here is my list of 30
In a world, with fast-changing, critical challenges and a lot of stress I would like to remind us all about the gift of slow activities. In this article, I will share 30 examples and the gifts they bring.
I am a former big city bride and executive coach who since some years live and sail around the world. I used to love the high speed in the city. Now with some perspective, I can see that it gave me a lot of good stuff, but also feelings of stress and overwhelmed.
For private reasons, we had to slow down more than we had planned when we arrived in New Zealand (from Sweden). My husband had arthrosis and needed two new hips. Something to take care of, so we did. It became two years of first waiting, then two operations with three months in between and finally rehabilitation.
For me, who used to be fast, it was a time of trials to slow down even though I have been meditating for more than thirty years. I decided to accept the situation and be curious about slowness and what it could bring to my life. I am pleasantly surprised by the many gifts it brings, and now I love being slow.
30 Slow Activities
Here comes 30 examples of slow activities, some I have used a lot, and others are new ideas and options. I’m sure you have your favourites — please comment!
I have grouped them into how you can be slow with yourself and with others:
· Going Inwards
· Learning and Experiencing Something New
· Going Outdoors
· Being with Others
Be Slow with Yourself — Go Inwards
I want to start with slow activities that we can do on our own and that takes us inwards, as that is something many never feel they have time to do. It’s a choice I should say, and a must to get to know oneself. It involves closing our eyes, looking and feeling inwards. Here are some of my favorite activities.
Meditate — find your corner or place where you take time to meditate in the morning, when you get home from work or in the evening. Sit with your back straight, close your eyes and witness your breathing, thoughts, feelings — everything that comes up. Let them pass, like the clouds in the sky.
Reflect — this can be done in so many ways, I suggest using pen and paper, rather than the computer. Research has shown that there is a connection between the hand and the brain that is very valuable. When reflecting, zoom out on a certain topic (as your life) — look at the whole, for patterns and different angles and perspective. Reflect on questions and patterns that repeat themselves.
Write a diary — What has been essential for you today? What are you grateful for? What are you in wonder about? What has been challenging? What has touched you? And…!
Write down your dreams and analyze them. Yes, be curious about what your subconscious is processing for you during the night. What is the dreamer (you) doing in the dream? Are you active or passive, relevant or not? What can you learn from the dream?
Be guided to relaxation — let yourself be guided by one of the huge numbers of guided meditations available today. The purpose is often to take you to your Alpha state, a slower frequency level where you gain more access to your own intuition and creativity.
Deep breaths — lie down and breathe with your stomach. The tingling is energy!
Body scanning — if you prefer and/or long for lying down you can go through your body — checking in and see how it feels and if there are some needs you can take better care of. Good before sleeping.
Slow bodywork — there are many versions of slow bodywork, such as Qi gong, Tai Chi and yoga — especially the slow ones, where you hold the pose longer.
Be Slow by Learning or Experiencing Something New
Read — that thick book, on paper, you never think you’ll have time to finish. Choose carefully, and take the one, most worth reading from a bigger perspective.
Draw or paint — keep using your hands and choose the medium and colours you feel drawn to. If you were to choose a colour and shape for today, what would be on your paper?
Or, if you want to learn the skill of drawing a human or something else so that it looks natural. There is a lot of practice behind becoming a master.
A photo can nowadays be retouched, but still, compared to an oil or watercolour painting, it is often a quick activity where you capture a moment. Go slowly and try to make a drawing from the photo and you will see the many details there are. Or if you want to stick with photos — choose an object you study for a long time.
Listen to music, sit down in your favorite armchair, and just listen, maybe even with headphones to make it even more focused.
Play an instrument and/or learn a new one.
Or use your voice and sing.
Needlework
I once had a breakthrough when my in-laws were visiting us. They were retired for a long, but we were in the middle of our careers with a lot going on. A weekend with them circled around food and conversations, maybe a small walk. It was not the first time, so I decided to go all in and just be with them during their visit. It was when we sat down in the living room, I felt the urge to do something (from the always-long list). I remembered that I had some buttons to replace and something small to repair by hand/needle. I went for my stuff, and I got so calm from that needlework. I could sit for hours just talking and listening to them.
Haven’t women in all times and parts of the world been coming together to talk while they at the same time do crafts? Think about all the crafts a hand can do!
Be Slow with Yourself — Go Outdoors
Nature is a perfect reminder and environment for going slow. Forest, mountains, ocean, desert including the wild animals and flowers. Experience the seasons and the different elements.
Go for a very slow walk — slow down your natural speed and take it as slow as you can. Like a zen walking, noticing and experiencing every step your feet are taking. Walk in wonder.
Another beautiful way that I have learnt from Byron Katie, is to walk at your own pace and name what you see while passing it. Name it as if you were God and name it for the first time — no classification, just the highest order — human, flower, car, tree etc.
Note — sit still and alone in a place, preferably outdoors in nature, and just look ahead, note the details, and immerse yourself in what is. Could be watching the sunrise or sunset, a bird table — a place you love and can come back to often.
Hug a tree — it is special, try it.
Go out and pick wildflowers — my favorite. Walk slowly along the roadside or on the path and look at the flowers and greenery. Notice what grows and how it grows. What will you be present for? What flowers are you drawn to? I am always very careful when picking flowers, if there is a single beauty, I leave it to be seen by others.
Plant something and watch it grow. Talk to and take care of your plants.
Go fishing.
Go bird watching.
Track animals.
Study slow animals, like ants, turtles or snails — imagine you are one of them.
Build a sandcastle or a work of art that will disappear in wind, waves or rain.
Go to a perfume department and find a new scent that you fall for.
Let yourself be rocked in a hammock.
Be Slow with Others
Here are just a few examples of what we can give each other daily.
Slow food — cook slowly together with friends and family. Eat slowly and chew carefully. Enjoy a long time together. What about the legs of lambs cocked for hours, it’s delicious. Maybe with some fermented cabbage (sauerkraut) — another slow activity. In a small village in Guatemala, I was once in a tiny little restaurant with a table that held 12 people. They served pancakes with berries. The restaurant was called La última cena — The Last Meal.
Thinking time in the presence of someone’s deep listening — give yourself and your partner undisturbed time to think deeper on a topic you are pondering on.
You know how easy it can start to go around in circles.
If you set it up as an exercise and have your partner be silent, present, and just encourage you to think, feel and talk about a chosen topic, you will notice how much easier it is to go deeper and also come up with new aspects and ideas. Decide a certain time (up to an hour, start with less), and then shift over after a break, or at another time. The listening partner does not interrupt or comment on anything, just supports you to find more of your thoughts and feelings.
Look into someone’s eyes and just be.
Give someone a long hug.
Be together.
This became a long list and I am sure it is only the beginning. What came to your mind? What are your favorites when it comes to slow activities and why? I would love to hear your comment.
The Gifts in Slow Activities
To summarize. The gift of being slow is that we use other parts of ourselves and therefore reach more of our resources.
The brain — the right side is engaged when we do creative activities, play music, zoom out, visualize and more.
Thinking is also different — the fast one is automatic, our autopilot — the slow one is used to consciously think through (reflect) on something complex. Deep listening is a huge gift we can give each other.
The body also carries a lot of wisdom about our unique needs. For example, the muscles can give us a response if something is supportive or not. When you hug someone, you get a lot of information right away.
We also use our own energy and get access to how we can increase it.
Breathing is a great way to get more energy, and also release stress.
Emotions are our great guides — feel and you know immediately if you are on the right path, or if there is something to learn and adjust.
Soul connection — when closing our eyes or just listening inwards we connect with our soul. We will receive perfect guidance. When seeing in someones else eyes we connect with their souls.
Subconscious — with deep relaxation and in the dreams we get in touch with deeper layers of ourselves, like our intuition and creativity.
Beyond our body & mind — when witnessing ourselves we will find that we are something else and more than our body and mind.
Small muscles — when being still we have the opportunity to use our many small muscles, like in the hand.
Senses — we also address our senses and let them have something to say in our lives — each of them gives us unique information. Using one at a time, and changing now and then, is an excellent way of recharging.
Being in the present moment — playing, dancing, enjoying what is.
Thank you for reading!
Enjoy your life!
All the best from Anna
