Slow Living Habits to Try This Year

Slow living is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace. It is about choosing a more thoughtful rhythm, making space for what matters, and reducing the constant feeling of being pulled in too many directions.

If you are looking for slow living habits to try this year, the good news is that you do not need to move house, give up work, or transform your life overnight. Small, repeatable changes can make daily life feel calmer, richer and more intentional.

Whether you live on a narrowboat, in a flat, in a busy family home, or somewhere in between, these habits can help you slow down in a practical and sustainable way.

Start the Day Without Rushing

The way a day begins often sets the tone for everything that follows. A slower morning does not have to mean waking up at dawn or following a complicated routine. It simply means creating a little breathing room before the demands of the day take over.

Try building a morning buffer, even if it is only ten minutes. Use that time to make tea, open a window, sit quietly, stretch, or write down what needs your attention.

To make mornings gentler, consider:

Putting clothes, keys and bags ready the night before.
Leaving your phone outside the bedroom or away from the bed.
Choosing one simple breakfast you can rely on during busy weeks.
Checking messages after you have washed, dressed and eaten.
Starting with natural light where possible, even on grey days.

A slow morning is not about perfection. It is about reducing unnecessary friction so you can begin the day feeling less hurried.

Create a Short Daily Pause

Many people wait for a holiday, weekend, or rare free afternoon before they allow themselves to properly stop. Slow living encourages smaller pauses throughout ordinary days.

A daily pause can be as simple as sitting with a drink and doing nothing else. No scrolling, no tidying, no planning. Just a few minutes of being where you are.

If that feels difficult, use a gentle prompt:

Pause before opening your laptop.
Step outside after lunch.
Take three slow breaths before replying to a difficult message.
Sit quietly while the kettle boils.
Look out of the window before starting the next task.

These tiny breaks help you notice the day rather than rush through it. Over time, they can become small anchors of calm.

Simplify Your To-Do List

A long to-do list can create the illusion of control while quietly adding pressure. One of the most useful slow living habits to try this year is learning to choose fewer priorities.

Instead of writing a list that includes every possible task, pick the three most important things for the day. These might include one work task, one household task and one personal task.

Ask yourself:

What genuinely needs to be done today?
What can wait without causing a problem?
What am I doing out of habit, guilt or expectation?
Which task would make the day feel lighter once completed?

This approach does not mean ignoring responsibilities. It means recognising that time and energy are limited. By choosing deliberately, you can give more attention to the things that matter most.

Eat More Meals Without Distraction

Food is one of the simplest places to practise slow living. Many meals are eaten while standing up, working, watching television, or scrolling on a phone. Slowing down at mealtimes can help make eating feel more satisfying and grounded.

You do not need elaborate recipes or expensive ingredients. Start by choosing one meal a day to eat without distraction. Sit down if you can. Notice the taste, texture and warmth of the food. Put your cutlery down between mouthfuls occasionally.

For a slower approach to food, try:

Cooking one simple meal from scratch each week.
Preparing a pot of soup, stew or curry that lasts more than one meal.
Keeping a few basic ingredients ready for easy dinners.
Eating at a table, bench, towpath spot, or quiet corner rather than at a screen.
Making tea or coffee as a small ritual rather than a rushed habit.

Slow food is not about being fancy. It is about care, attention and enjoying nourishment without treating it as another task to get through.

Set Kinder Digital Boundaries

Technology is useful, but it can easily fill every spare moment. A slower life usually requires a more intentional relationship with screens.

You do not have to delete every app or disappear from the internet. Instead, create clear boundaries that help you choose when to be available and when to step away.

Practical digital boundaries include:

Keeping the first 30 minutes of the day phone-free.
Turning off non-essential notifications.
Charging your phone away from where you relax.
Having one screen-free evening each week.
Checking email at set times rather than constantly.
Unfollowing accounts that leave you feeling rushed, inadequate or irritated.

Notice what you reach for when you pick up your phone. Are you looking for information, comfort, distraction, or connection? That awareness alone can help you make more deliberate choices.

Spend More Time Outdoors

Nature naturally invites a slower pace. You do not need a grand landscape or perfect weather to benefit from being outside. A canal path, park, garden, balcony, field edge, or tree-lined street can all offer a sense of space.

Try adding outdoor time into routines you already have. Walk part of a journey. Drink your morning tea outside. Open the hatch, door or window and listen for birds, water, wind or rain.

Simple outdoor habits might include:

Taking a short walk after dinner.
Noticing seasonal changes in the same place each week.
Growing herbs in pots or on a windowsill.
Sitting outside for five minutes without headphones.
Choosing slower routes when you have time.

The aim is not to turn every walk into exercise or every view into a photograph. It is to reconnect with the world beyond screens, schedules and indoor tasks.

Buy Less, Choose Better

Slow living often goes hand in hand with more thoughtful consumption. This does not mean never buying anything new. It means pausing before purchases and asking whether something will genuinely add value to your life.

Before buying, ask:

Do I need this, or do I want a quick lift?
Do I already own something that does the same job?
Where will I store it?
Will I still want this in a month?
Could I borrow, repair or buy second-hand instead?

This habit is especially useful in small homes and narrowboats, where space is limited. Every item has to earn its place. Buying less can mean less clutter, less cleaning, less waste and more appreciation for the things you already use and enjoy.

Make Space for Slow Hobbies

Some activities pull you into a calmer rhythm because they cannot be rushed. Reading, knitting, whittling, baking, sketching, gardening, journalling, fishing, mending and walking all invite attention and patience.

A slow hobby should not become another performance. You do not need to monetise it, master it quickly, or share it online. Let it be something you do for pleasure, curiosity or quiet satisfaction.

To make room for a slow hobby:

Keep the materials simple and accessible.
Schedule a small amount of time rather than waiting for a whole free day.
Choose something you can pick up and put down easily.
Allow yourself to be a beginner.
Focus on the process rather than the result.

Slow hobbies are a reminder that not everything has to be efficient. Some things are worth doing simply because they make life feel fuller.

Practise Single-Tasking

Multitasking can feel productive, but it often leaves the mind scattered. Single-tasking is the habit of giving one thing your full attention, even for a short period.

Start with ordinary tasks. Wash the dishes without listening to anything. Fold laundry without checking your phone. Write one email properly instead of half-writing several. Walk without planning the rest of the day.

Single-tasking can feel strange at first, especially if you are used to constant stimulation. Begin with five or ten minutes. The more you practise, the more you may notice how often life becomes stressful because attention is split in too many directions.

Build Gentle Evening Rituals

A slower evening helps the body and mind understand that the day is winding down. This is particularly helpful if your evenings tend to disappear into chores, screens or unfinished work.

Create a simple ritual that marks the shift from day to night. It might be closing curtains, dimming lights, washing up, making herbal tea, writing tomorrow’s short list, or reading a few pages of a book.

Helpful evening habits include:

Setting a regular time to stop work where possible.
Preparing for the morning so there is less rush.
Reducing bright screens before bed.
Doing a quick reset of one small area, such as the kitchen surface.
Writing down worries or tasks so they are not circling in your head.

The goal is not to create a perfect bedtime routine. It is to give yourself a softer landing at the end of the day.

Reconnect with Your Local Area

Slow living is often rooted in paying more attention to where you are. Many people travel through their local area without really noticing it. This year, try exploring nearby places with fresh eyes.

Visit the independent shop you usually pass. Walk a different route to the post box. Learn the names of local plants, bridges, buildings or footpaths. Stop for a chat when it feels natural. Support local markets, cafés, repair shops and community events where you can.

This habit can make everyday life feel more connected. It also encourages you to value what is close by rather than always looking elsewhere for interest or escape.

Leave More Empty Space in Your Calendar

A busy calendar can look impressive, but it often leaves little room for rest, spontaneity or proper attention. Slow living asks you to protect empty space as something valuable.

Before saying yes to a plan, pause. Check whether you have the time, energy and desire to do it. If the answer is no, a polite refusal is enough.

You might say:

Thank you for asking, but I cannot make it this time.
I would love to, but I need a quiet weekend.
I cannot commit to that at the moment.
Let me check my diary and come back to you.

Empty space is not wasted time. It is where rest happens, where ideas appear, and where life has room to breathe.

Notice What Is Already Enough

One of the deepest slow living habits is learning to notice enoughness. Modern life often encourages the feeling that you should have more, do more, improve more and achieve more. Slow living offers a quieter question: what is already good here?

This does not mean giving up ambition or ignoring problems. It means balancing the desire for change with appreciation for what is present.

Try a simple daily enoughness practice:

Name one thing that worked well today.
Notice one item you already own and use often.
Appreciate one small comfort, such as warmth, light, food or a good chair.
Recognise one effort you made, even if the result was imperfect.

Gratitude does not need to be grand or forced. It can be quiet, specific and honest.

How to Make Slow Living Habits Stick

The best slow living habits are the ones you can actually keep. Rather than trying to change everything at once, choose one or two ideas from this list and practise them for a few weeks.

Make the habit small enough that it feels almost too easy. Five minutes outside is better than an ambitious plan you abandon. One phone-free meal is better than a strict digital detox that feels unrealistic.

It can also help to connect a new habit to something you already do. For example:

After brushing your teeth, write down your top three tasks.
After lunch, step outside for five minutes.
Before making dinner, put your phone in another room.
After washing up, prepare something for the morning.
Before bed, read two pages instead of scrolling.

Slow living is not a destination. It is a series of choices that bring you back to the present, again and again.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is slow living?

Slow living is a lifestyle approach that focuses on intention, simplicity and presence. It is about making conscious choices, reducing unnecessary rush, and giving more attention to the people, places and activities that matter to you.

Do I need lots of free time to practise slow living?

No. Slow living can fit into busy lives through small habits. A quiet cup of tea, a short walk, a simpler to-do list, or a phone-free meal can all help create a slower rhythm without needing hours of spare time.

Is slow living the same as minimalism?

They can overlap, but they are not the same. Minimalism focuses on owning less and reducing excess. Slow living is broader. It includes how you spend time, make decisions, eat, rest, work, shop and connect with your surroundings.

How can I practise slow living with a demanding job?

Start with boundaries and transitions. Take short pauses between tasks, protect lunch breaks when possible, avoid checking work messages outside agreed times, and create a clear ritual to mark the end of the working day.

What is the easiest slow living habit to start with?

A daily pause is one of the easiest. Choose a moment you already have, such as waiting for the kettle to boil or sitting before a meal, and use it to breathe, notice your surroundings and stop multitasking for a few minutes.

Trying slow living does not require a dramatic new life. Begin with one calm habit, repeat it often, and let it gently shape the pace of your days.