Hello Friends!
Another couple of weeks have zipped by and here I am again, as promised, with a few research supported Slow Living practices that can be healing for the mind, body, and spirit. If you’re new to Slow Living, my post titled “Slow Living: My Journey” explains more about this lifestyle and what it may do for you. Today’s post contains just a handful of my personal favorites, which tend to rotate seasonally, and I would love to know what your chosen slow rituals are in the comments!
So, here we go:
Mindfulness & Meditation
I would argue that practicing slow living is already a kind of ongoing mindfulness, but it depends on how you apply it. If you’ve read my post mentioned above, I discuss how slow living can be as simple as adding a calming ritual to one’s day or a little more challenging when utilise it as a philosophy and a lens through which we filter all that we observe and our responses to those experiences. In any case, I’ll be honest that I struggle with meditation, but I LOVE mindfulness practices and am ever working on integrating them in my own life - simply because mindfulness helps me to be a better mom, doctor, friend, human.
Anyhooo, getting back to it - Even a few minutes per day of is beneficial with numerous studies extolling the value of mindfulness techniques and meditation, revealing profound results on mental health and overall well-being. This has been demonstrated in many a systematic review and meta-analysis such as this one by Goyal, M. et al., (2014), which included a good sample size of peer-reviewed studies. Mindfulness has also shown in research to be very effective in improving quality of life in those with depression and in chronic pain sufferers (Ball, E.F., et al., 2017). In slow living, such practices can take multiple forms and be cultivated through various kinds of rituals (as I like to call them) such as those in this post but also in mental practices and rewiring patterns of thinking to gain more of the present moment. Meditation alone is traditionally a serene practice done in quiet stillness; however, it can also be adjusted to take place during movement and is just as effective. Basically, have fun with making it your own!
Whether you’re interested in learning to meditate for long periods or simply be more mindful, I highly recommend looking into the different approaches out there or starting with just being still and quiet for a few minutes per day, letting your mind wander only gently and slowly over pleasant or peaceful themes. Instrumental music helps!
Being in Nature
Forest bathing was inspired by the Japanese practice shinrin-yoku which gained popularity in the 1980’s and quickly spread to the Western world. While people have been enjoying the calming effects of time spent out in nature for (likely) millennia, science is still catching up to the full benefits and there have been many fascinating discoveries in recent decades.
Immersion in the great outdoors, and specifically green areas has been scientifically shown to abate stress, lower blood pressure, elevate mood, and seems to exert positive effects on cancer patients, leading researchers to suggest that “green space prescriptions” ought to become a norm and that perhaps city planners and landscapers should take serious note (Twohig-Bennett & Jones, 2018). Getting into some of the finer details, phytoncides in forest air have been associated with helping immune system function by increasing natural killer cell numbers and activity (Li, Q., 2010). Even more intriguing are the benefits associated with physical contact with the earth’s surface (also known as grounding or earthing) produces measurable changes in various health outcomes (Oschman, J. L., et al., 2015). The research here is worth a post of its own, so I’ll likely be coming back to this topic.
While medicine may take a while to catch on to the benefit of green space prescriptions, “forest therapy trails” have been designed by organisations looking to promote nature as a readily available healing modality. Check out this lovely article from National Geographic to learn more about these organisations and where to access the trails.
Slow Fooding
Slow and thoughtful nourishment involves giving full attention to the sensory experience of eating and can also extend to the gathering, preparation, and sharing aspects of nutrition as well. Food intake is a daily need and most of us have the ability to sit down for this act, allowing an opportunity to slow down and savor. Even better if we can find ways to create joy in the harvest and the food preparation portions of this daily ritual. My personal tip is to seek out a recipe, story, person, or even a photograph that gets my creative juices flowing and primed to try out cooking a new dish.
Mindful eating has caught on as a Buddhist teaching and is broken down into 7 practices, in the book: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life, by Thich Nhat Hahn and Dr. Lilian Cheung, which I recommend. Research tells us that practicing mindful eating can lead to healthier eating habits as well as better weight management and digestion. For those of us with a sweet tooth, research published by Mason, A.E., et al. (2016) showed that mindful eating approaches are effective in lowering sweets intake and fasting glucose.
It’s no surprise that being more conscious about what’s going into our mouth causes us to connect with our food, make healthier choices, and have a more joyful relationship with nourishment- something which I believe is an important act of self-care that is sometimes missing in the fast-pace of modern life.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F39dc39f2-1c92-4433-8642-7e4fb8489e51_960x1280.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9b3ba46-7feb-4bb1-912f-1d82ade9f57a_960x1280.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6ce4d3ba-68b3-4179-a66b-78cd26541861_2563x3375.jpeg)
Creativity
Dabbling in creative pursuits, be they serious artistic endeavors, a part of homemaking, or some casual crafting fun, is a boon to well-being. Scientific inquiry supports creative expression is a valid means to stress reduction, increased positive emotional states and overall sense of wellbeing.
In embracing a creative hobby, one not only heeds the science but the wisdom of what many devoted creators before us have known: creativity helps add grace, passion, and intention to our lives.
Most notable in the scientific literature are the mental health benefits. The process of creating allows individuals to focus on the task at hand and experience a state of flow which appears to contribute greatly to a sense of fulfillment. A study published this year by Bone, J. K., et al. (2023), which looked at how individuals spent free time during the lockdowns, noted that creative hobbies such as woodworking improved quality of life, whereas watching TV and media seemed to cause greater measures of depression.
Walking
In my last post I waxed poetic about how good walking is for the mind but, as a specialist in biomechanics, I can also confidently decree that walking is an ideal activity for humans. Whether you like to walk in the city, in the forest, in groups, long distances, short treks, or only to give the dog some exercise, it’s all beneficial for one’s health.
Simply taking more steps per day has been associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (Paluch, A. E., et al., 2022) but if you haven’t developed a liking for lone walks, dog walking and group walking participation has been linked to less depression, reduced waist circumference, and lower fasting glucose (Hanson, S., & Jones, A., 2015). When people who own and walk dogs were compared to individuals who do not, results showed that the dog people got more weekly physical activity and had lower body mass index with the additional surprising finding that non-dog people had significantly higher risk of health problems, including: Type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and depression (Lentino, C., et al., 2012).
In any case, a little time afoot, outside, or happily cooking and crafting indoors is sure to fill your heart with a little added joy and vitality. In these ways, slow living can lend a sense of well-being and to provide a special something we didn’t know we needed, until now.
And there you have it! Some slow living honorable mentions that I’ll likely come back to in future posts include: a hiatus from technology and spending time with animals and/or children. Let me know what you’re interested in!
Thanks for reading!
xx Chesica
References
Ball, E. F., Nur Shafina Muhammad Sharizan, E., Franklin, G., & Rogozińska, E. (2017). Does mindfulness meditation improve chronic pain? A systematic review. Current opinion in obstetrics & gynecology, 29(6), 359–366. https://doi.org/10.1097/GCO.0000000000000417
Bone, J. K., Fancourt, D., Sonke, J. K., Fluharty, M. E., Cohen, R., Lee, J. B., Kolenic, A. J., Radunovich, H., & Bu, F. (2023). Creative leisure activities, mental health and well-being during 5 months of the COVID-19 pandemic: a fixed effects analysis of data from 3725 US adults. Journal of epidemiology and community health, 77(5), 293–297. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2022-219653
Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. M., Gould, N. F., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., Berger, Z., Sleicher, D., Maron, D. D., Shihab, H. M., Ranasinghe, P. D., Linn, S., Saha, S., Bass, E. B., & Haythornthwaite, J. A. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA internal medicine, 174(3), 357–368. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternm
Hanson, S., & Jones, A. (2015). Is there evidence that walking groups have health benefits? A systematic review and meta-analysis. British journal of sports medicine, 49(11), 710–715. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2014-094157
Lentino, C., Visek, A. J., McDonnell, K., & DiPietro, L. (2012). Dog walking is associated with a favorable risk profile independent of moderate to high volume of physical activity. Journal of physical activity & health, 9(3), 414–420. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.9.3.414
Li Q. (2010). Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function. Environmental health and preventive medicine, 15(1), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-008-0068-3
Mason, A. E., Epel, E. S., Kristeller, J., Moran, P. J., Dallman, M., Lustig, R. H., Acree, M., Bacchetti, P., Laraia, B. A., Hecht, F. M., & Daubenmier, J. (2016). Effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on mindful eating, sweets consumption, and fasting glucose levels in obese adults: data from the SHINE randomized controlled trial. Journal of behavioral medicine, 39(2), 201–213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-015-969
Oschman, J. L., Chevalier, G., & Brown, R. (2015). The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Journal of inflammation research, 8, 83–96. https://doi.org/10.2147/JIR.S69656
Paluch, A. E., Bajpai, S., Bassett, D. R., Carnethon, M. R., Ekelund, U., Evenson, K. R., Galuska, D. A., Jefferis, B. J., Kraus, W. E., Lee, I. M., Matthews, C. E., Omura, J. D., Patel, A. V., Pieper, C. F., Rees-Punia, E., Dallmeier, D., Klenk, J., Whincup, P. H., Dooley, E. E., Pettee Gabriel, K., … Steps for Health Collaborative (2022). Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. The Lancet. Public health, 7(3), e219–e228. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00302-9
Twohig-Bennett, C., & Jones, A. (2018). The health benefits of the great outdoors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of greenspace exposure and health outcomes. Environmental Research, 166, 628-637. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935118303323
“Sir, Respect Your Dinner: idolize it, enjoy it properly. You will be many hours in the week, many weeks in the year, and many years in your life happier if you do.” — William Makepeace Thackeray
I wanted to paint this quote on my kitchen wall. :)
Like Walking, each of these is deserves its own post.