Reclaiming my time

And embracing the art of slow living…

Jul 09, 2023

Lazy Sunday morning - writing at the kitchen table

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”

– LAO TZU

I am sitting at the kitchen table knowing what I want to write about but unsure on how to start. I recently experienced an unexpected flare, having been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2014. It happens, it’s just par for the course, but it did make me pause and ask myself why, having been stable for quite some months. We all experience the ups and downs of life, daily worries, grief and anxiety but it’s how we process it and sometimes, especially if we ignore these feelings it can manifest as pain in our bodies. My body is telling me to slow down, I am grateful to receive these messages and came to realise that the best course of action was to listen and make some changes. For those of you that follow me know that recently I decided to take a break from social media for the summer and get back to doing the things that bring me joy, simple things that don’t cost the earth but nourish and nurture my mind, body and soul.

I am sure you have all heard of the term ‘slow-living’, it sounds nice, right? What does it actually mean and is it sustainable in today’s society? Slow-living is an actual movement, a way of living more consciously, it means doing everything at the right speed, instead of rushing around and doing things a lot faster, slowing down and making purposeful decisions for your health and well-being. The movement came about in Rome, Italy when faced with a McDonalds opening up in the city. In 1986, Carlo Petrini and a group of activists formed Slow Food, a movement that defends regional food traditions.

The central tenet of the Slow philosophy is taking the time to do things properly, and thereby enjoy them more."

- CARL HONORÉ

After having to give up work I was forced to stop. I was forced to re-evaluate my life, to make some serious changes and to find my purpose again, to fall in love with the everyday. I had lived my life in a whirlwind of having to get things done, 10 steps ahead all the time, rushing to and from work, fitting in hospital appointments, running the home, walking the dog, in between feeling very ill. My body was screaming at me to just stop, it was only when I was laid in bed with shingles, that I was forced to make the right decision for me.

So this recent flare up meant that I was fully equipped, my well-being toolbox was waiting to be opened once again. I have embraced slow-living, left gaps in my diary to ensure I don’t overfill my days. I write in artist dates as suggested by Julia Cameron who wrote The Artist’s Way and Write for Life, both of which are in my well-being toolkit. I’ve slowed down and in slowing down have begun to notice the small things that bring me joy.

In researching the philosophy of ‘Slow-Living’, I came across the term ‘Blue Zone’, having never heard of this before I decided to look it up. I came across a website - www.bluezones.com, which states that;

The concept of blue zones grew out of the demographic work done by Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain outlined in the Journal of Experimental Gerontology, identifying Sardinia as the region of the world with the highest concentration of male centenarians. Pes and Poulain drew concentric blue circles on the map highlighting these villages of extreme longevity and began to refer to this area inside the circle as the blue zone. Building on that demographic work, Dan pinpointed other longevity hotspots around the world and dubbed them blue zones. Blue Zones is now a trademark of Blue Zones, LLC, and reflects the lifestyle and the environment of the world’s longest-lived people.

The website is really worth checking out as there are many articles, recipes and ideas that may be of interest. I want to know the secrets of these people who live in these blue zones, how have they mastered living well and living long? The research suggests they live well by having a sense of purpose, moving naturally, eating wisely and connecting with loved ones. This made me question what does it mean to be truly healthy?

I have put a lot of unnecessary pressure on myself over the last few years. I found it hard to accept my diagnosis and was determined to cure myself. I spent the last 10 years trying to figure it out but to no avail, however, I have also spent the last 10 years changing my lifestyle habits, living well with what I have, to stop obsessing with my health and to just live. Enjoy and embrace the good days and be grateful to be able to cocoon on the bad days. I’ve stopped obsessing over diets and have naturally adapted my diet to suit me. I grow some fruit and vegetables, not enough to sustain us throughout the year, but I enjoy the process of nurturing and growing my own food. I walk most days with Audrey, my husband taking her out on my bad days. I’ve realised that I don’t have to show up looking perfect, it’s ok not to wear make-up, because actually, no one cares. I enjoy my friend and family dates and cherish my connection with others. I now block out artist dates in my diary, as being an artist, a writer and a homemaker gives me the purpose I need to live my best life and reclaim my time, albeit slow. Slow-living is the best movement ever!

The Pondering of an Artist

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