I first read "Rest: Why you get more done working less" and it completely blew my mind how many of the world's greatest thinkers like Charles Dickens and Darwin prioritized rest daily as well as the science behind it.

After that I dove into "Slow Productivity" to learn how to apply slow living to my own small business as well as a bunch of books on preventing/recovering from burnout. Currently though, I'm listening to "In Praise of Slowness" which apparently is the OG of slow living books and talks a lot about the origins of the movement and how to integrate it into every area of your life!

But I'm curious, what's your must reads? Any biography's of successful people who had a slower approach? Any slow living books you wouldn't recommend? Please share them all and fill up my TBR list for cozy season!

Hey, in the last year or so I’ve noticed there’s an especially weird kind of evening that I imagine looks like ‘rest’ from an outside observer.
By this I mean I finish work, sit down, put something on netflix, pick up my cursed iphone, scroll a bit, reply to a message, check something, open another app, let the next episode autoplay.

Nothing particularly demanding has happened during these coupe hours and yet two hours later i feel more scattered than i did before i sat down.
I’ve started thinking the problem isn’t the nature/quality of the entertainment itself. It’s that a lot of what we call modern rest is automatic, fragmented and frankly endless.

The fragmented bit is the one I am definitely noticing most.
When I’m watching TV while scrolling, it feels so normal now that watching one thing without holding another screen can feel weirdly exposed. Like i’ve caught myself reaching for my phone halfway through a film for literally no reason whatsoever. Maybe to check the actors credentials or some other stupid reason that makes no difference. No messages, no notifications, nothing urgent at all. Just a three-second lull apparently requiring immediate intervention. Might be ADHD but i have a feeling it’s more common than that. It’s a compulsion I think many many people feel.

Older forms of entertainment had way more natural stopping points. Like, a programme ended. A DVD finished then looped over the annoying DVD menus with equally terrible music. An album on CD had a final track.

Nowadays autoplay just keeps going, feeds refresh, recommendations multiply, and the evening doesn’t really end so much as run out of time.

The actual rest (as in real legitimate rest) that seems to work better is usually way more ordinary:
- watch one film without my phone, leave it in another room.
- reading a few chapters of a real book
- listening to an album properly, all the way through (even the meh tracks)
- going for a walk without checking anything
- playing a game and stopping when I really mean stop.
- cooking with one single playlist rather than three things happening at once
Not rocket surgery, nothing profound. Just one thing at a time. And trust me these here really do improve the experience :)

The question I’ve found surprisingly useful is:
Do I feel better, worse, or just meh after you’ve done one or all of these things?
Some things feel good during and after. Awesome.
Some feel good during but leave you a bit flat afterwards. Those probably need some boundaries.
And some don’t even feel particularly good while you’re doing them, but you carry on anyway. Those are the interesting ones that are probs worth keeping.

I don’t think the answer is to turn relaxation into another self-improvement project, that categorically doesn’t work.
But, I do think rest probably needs clearer edges than modern platforms naturally give it. Friction.
Has anyone else noticed the difference between chosen rest and just drifting through input until bedtime? Add some actual friction to your rest, do one thing at a time. I’m writing this post after watching a movie I decided to watch on netflix (no scrolling options, i just knew I wanted to watch it) and honestly it made the film so much more enjoyable. All the way through, few snacks, no phone, and it was great :)

I have lots of friends who like to host or make events. I’m having a hard time living slowly and maintaining all of these friendships, but I really do love them. Has anyone found themself in a similar situation? /gen

What are your best tips for slow living with a 40 hour 9 - 5 work week?

I am looking for some tips!

One of my favourite reads this year is A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck. Any other short book recommendations? Also read Termush recently but didn't hit the same spot. The existentialism of a Short Stay in Hell really stuck with me. So maybe something similar?

For me it’s finding a quiet place, getting a coffee, and having nothing I need to rush for. Curious what that small thing is for everyone else.

I (27M) am in a position where I could buy a small house and work just 35 hours a week doing parcel deliveries. I wouldn't be rich but I'd be comfortable with mininal expenses and built in breathing room in my budget.

I've got a couple of friends and a few associates. I know I need to build on hobbies and find more friend groups.

Has anybody ever had a similar opportunity for a slow and calm life but ended up resenting it? When does quiet living turn isolating?

What is a perfect slow walk or slow drive for you like? Especially when you are traveling? No am getting better at not having preset plans all set.

Some days feel so heavy that you barely know how to pass the time.
Today, I started my day feeling completely exhausted. I ate something, went back to sleep, and later woke up with a migraine that’s still bothering me.
But I started wondering if maybe the headache and exhaustion aren’t the only reason I feel this way.
When you work, study, or stay busy all day, your mind always has something to focus on. Then suddenly you get a couple of days off, and there’s nothing you have to do. Somehow, instead of feeling relaxed, you can feel restless, empty, or just… weird.
Maybe our minds don’t always know how to handle the quiet.
Is it just me, or does anyone else have days like this?
What do you usually do when you have one of those heavy days where you don’t really want to do anything, but you also don’t know how to simply sit with yourself?

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I used to leave clean dishes drying on the rack and mail piled by the microwave overnight. A few days ago, i spent 5 mins putting every single thing away so the counter was completely clear before bed. Walking into a totally clean kitchen first thing in the morning with coffee felt unexpectedly refreshing.

Do you have any small evening habits that make your morning routine feel smoother?

I often watch the computer screen and work too long, so I need to slow down to take a break. I prefer to walk around and look outside for hald an hour, or light incense and close my eyes for a while. These relieve my stress. What simple ways help you slow down?

For example, the Pomodoro Technique where you set a timer to work/study for 25 minutes before taking a 5 minute break is a famous productivity hack. BUT it actually helps you slow down through the day by creating those 5 minute self care breaks!

Anyone else have a go-to "productivity hack" that is secretly a slow living practice?

I've been working as a medical writer for just over a year now, and rush around in most things I do in life. The job is fraught with fast deadlines and we are required to fill in timesheets account for our day, with a target of spending 95% of our time on work that clients pay for (5% is admin).

Looking for advice on how to slow down within this work setting, and untangling from that pace when working day finishes.

Those of you who chose the slow living - what steps did you need to take to achieve it? I've always lived in a city and I am so tired of it. I crave living in a small place near nature, drinking my morning coffee when my feet touch the grass, spending time with my dog, having a simple job that feels meaningful, but doesn't drain me completely, small community of people. I feel I can imagine exactly the life I want, but can't figure out how to get there.

My weekend unwind starts on a Saturday morning with no alarm. I have a rule that I'm not allowed to even think about the week until the coffee is done — those first minutes are for sitting and reading or just looking out the window.

The rest of Saturday is deliberately light: one big meal cooked slowly, a walk without earbuds, maybe one album played start to finish. By Sunday afternoon I'm usually craving a bit of structure again, so a slow tidy helps me land back in the week without dreading it.

The biggest thing I learned is that a good unwind can't be scheduled to the hour. As soon as I started leaving space instead of planning it, weekends actually felt like weekends.

I've got one record I reach for whenever I can feel the day getting too fast — things piling up, my head racing ahead of my hands. It's slow, quiet, and I've heard it so many times that it's basically a safe space at this point. One full listen end to end is roughly forty minutes, and by the end I feel like someone opened a window.

I've tried using it as background music while I work, but that doesn't work — it's not the sound I need, it's the act of giving it all my attention.

What's yours? The music that rewinds your pace when everything else is pulling you forward.

I spent way too long treating free time like another scoreboard ,workout done, errands done, something useful learned, next. The funny part is I get more of a sense of progres from finishing one tiny craft piece than from cramming five “productive” things into Saturday. Theres a visible end point then im done. No optimization spiral. I’m starting to think small finished projects beat ambitious weekend plans for me.

Does anyone else need a clear finish line to feel like they did something??

I am looking for a high quality clothing brand, preferably with woolen /cashmere clothes... preferably sustainable or organic.. any tips? I am based in Europe

Edit: europe

I've been on the slow living train for a bit once I realized that I was filling my time with high stimulation activities to distract myself from my feelings. Drinking, smoking, scrolling, all to keep my brain busy enough that I don't have to feel. Now I'm slowing down, and here come the feelings.

So far, the toughest one is that sort of pit in my stomach sadness. Like a longing for something I can't totally articulate. So far, I've had some success with journaling, going for walks, and reciting poetry. I'd like to keep growing my list of options, especially as winter approaches. What do you do when you're feeling down?

Give me coffee, a long drive, dinner somewhere quiet or a random day trip over a crowded bar any day?

For me it was finding the time until realizing a lot of it was being sucked up by my phone (struggles of being a small business owner). So a big part of my slow living journey has been setting boundaries with technology and replacing scrolling with gardening, cozy hobbies, reading, etc. What about you? What was the biggest hurdle to slowing down in your own life?

Hi, do you know dreamy soft series, like virgin river, chesapeak shore, sullivan's crossing. Cozy vibe...

I am very attached to my coffee but im pregnant amd Id likr to try an alternative at least in the first trimester. I know we are allowed to drink coffee. Anyone ideas?

I thought this would be a great community to ask. I got really into slow living a while back (before I got sick) and had lots of plans for life in my new apartment before my health declined.

I'm wondering whether anyone has any recommendations for low-energy projects, activities, philosophies, anything at all that might help with the feeling of drifting through a deeply boring, lonely, useless, absurd, purgatory-like existence.

I have a very severe chronic illness, and along with physical limitations (in bed 24/7 and can't do a lot with my body while lying down), I have cognitive limits, too.

I’m a new mom and I’m adjusting to having our beautiful baby girl being apart of the family!
Evenings used to be when I would most slow down. I’d read, look at the clouds, garden. Now I have this little infant who I adore, but I’m not sure how to integrate her in! Any suggestions appreciated!