Learning to Embrace a Slower Lifestyle
Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. - Robert Breault
These days, it seems that we are all constantly being pushed to do more — working longer hours, accomplishing more at home, having a side hustle. I’ll be the first to admit that I bought in to that mentality, particularly in college and my first couple of years after graduate school. However, I’ve quickly come to realize that true joy and contentment in life (at least for me), doesn’t come from working 24/7 and constantly striving to be #1; instead, my truest moments of contentment in the last few years have been when I’m truly balancing work and my personal life. It’s the mentality of “work to live, not live to work”, and it’s made a profound difference in my stress levels and the things I value in life.
I’m not advocating that we up and quit our 9-to-5 (although I’m sure we’d all love to!), but instead I’m suggesting that we all take time to enjoy a proper lunch break, go on a walk during the day to clear our minds, and spending more of our weekends at home and in nature relaxing. There is something so cathartic about breathing in fresh air and surrounding yourself with nature. It’s in these calming moments that we can truly embrace and enjoy the little treasures that life brings us every day.
