The Slow Movement: How to Live Life to the Fullest

The world is in constant motion, and with it are the billions of people who inhabit this amazing planet. In the technological age, people value instant gratification, no delays in communication are tolerated. No stops along the way are allowed, as there is always a sense of urgency in everyday life. Though not everyone takes this harried point-of-view, society as a whole suffers from the pervasive need to go, go, go, which ultimately becomes a source of undue stress. 

Most people of the civilized world today are in a hurry to get everything done quickly so that they can relax. What those frantically fast people are missing is the simple journey of living. Modern life has made the modern human a study in fast. Eat fast, sleep fast, travel fast and so on. People have forgotten what life is truly about: enjoying the time we are given.

A new movement has arisen populated by people who have had enough of feeling constantly stressed and worn down. These tired people are all members of the new-fangled Slow Movement who wish to return to a slower, more measured way of life.

An entire series of movements is dedicated to the art of slow including Slow Food, Slow Travel and Slow Parenting. Slowing down and taking time to be part of any of these slow movements can have a relaxing psychological effect.

The Slow Food movement, for example, currently claims several thousand members in over fifty countries, with forty-two states in the U.S boasting local chapters. Slow Food members endorse the purchasing, cooking and eating of regional foods that are locally grown and organically produced.

This particular movement eschews the idea of fast food “restaurants” altogether. Members of the Slow Travel movement have returned to the actually enjoying the path to a destination, rather than taking a quick, expensive plane trip. Slow travelers usually travel by car or train and frequently stop along the way.

Slow parenting involves not overscheduling children to the point that they end up stressed out and unhappy. Childhood only happens once, so why make your children rush to become adults? Slow parenting does not completely devolve from scheduling any activities, it endorses letting children learn at their own pace and not overly stress about extra-curricular activities.

Members of the Slow Parenting movement argue that the current trends of modern parents, with their tendency to solve children’s problems and micro-manage their schedules, can lead to children who are stressed at an early age and unable to handle problems on their own as an adult.

Advocates of the Slow Movement advise the psychological benefits of enjoying less stress and taking the time to fully enjoy daily activities. Rushing through life can cause anxiety and ultimately depression in some people. Remember, always stop and smell the roses; your mind and body with thank you.

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