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Slow living | how to learn to live slower

Slow living | how to learn to live slower

We might think a busy lifestyle is unavoidable, but some argue otherwise. In this blog, Rick & Laura explain how slow living can make you richer.

By Rick & Laura, aka Simply Nomads

A more conscious and free life. Many of us are looking for it, but finding ourselves completely exhausted every weekend. Our names are Rick and Laura, also known as @simply.nomads and our motto is: 'live more, with less'. Every year we try to live up to this as much as possible. But why do we actually want to live slower, and how do we plan to achieve this goal? In this blog, we tell you how we apply slow living to make the most of our minimalist lifestyle.

Getting packed and leaving the rest behind

In November 2019 we decided to go on a trip and we’re still on it. Three years before that we started adjusting our lives bit by bit. For example, we noticed that we weren’t happy because of material possessions, but rather because of experiences. We took the car out more and more times for micro-adventures. In 2016, after a trip to Nepal, we decided we wanted to travel indefinitely. At this point we weren’t completely on board with parting with our stuff. Until someone said to us: 'but how can you really be free, if you still have all this stuff'. That was the tipping point for us to sell all our stuff, until we didn’t even have a house to our name. Our possessions consisted of 4 boxes and two backpacks. The start of our minimalist life.

Live more with less

It has been proven that a slower life causes you to experience less stress and is therefore better for your health. Slow living is also better for relationships with your partner, as well as with friends and family. When you experience more peace yourself, you can also give others more. So start by looking at what things are really important to you in life. Do you really enjoy clothes or relationships with others? Do you live every day consciously or does the day fly by without actually thinking about what you are doing?

5 tips for slow living

Living a slow and minimalistic life is not something you do all at once. It's a lifestyle. Breaking patterns that don't serve this lifestyle takes time. Below, we give you 5 tips on how we transitioned to a slower life.

1. Minimise your belongings 

Maybe your house is full of stuff right now, but think about the things that really make you happy. Look critically at the amount of clothes you have, for example. If you’re struggling, there are great books and programmes for this. For example, start with the 333 project, in which you work towards 33 items of clothing for 3 months.

2. Create a regular morning routine

The morning is the most important moment for us. When you start the morning at rest, you will take this with you throughout the day. You can opt for meditation, walking or a slow workout. But choose an activity that gives you peace of mind.

3. Plan a micro-adventure on the weekends

The weekends are there to fully enjoy. You have worked all week and on the weekend it is time for yourself. So go out! Take a multi-day trip, visit a nice city or go to a beautiful cabin surrounded by nature. Experience slow living at its best.

4. Walk 10,000 steps every day

This works very well for us. We walk at least 10,000 steps every day. Because we travel around in a van, we discover the most beautiful places. Even if you live in a city, you can easily walk 10,000 steps a day. Clear your head with a podcast, for example. Get active at noon and take your lunch break outside instead of inside.

5. Buy a motorhome and get out there

This could of course not be missing from this blog. Since we had to come back due to Corona in March 2020, we have been travelling around in a camper. We discovered countries like Poland, Croatia, Germany, Spain and Italy. Campspace also makes it possible for us to stay in beautiful and quiet places with your camper. Not planning to buy a motorhome? A tent makes for a great experience too.

Our minimalist lives now:

We are Rick & Laura and we now live and travel in a campervan. This way we are in the most beautiful places in Europe. We try to motivate and encourage others to lead a simpler life through our Instagram @simply.nomads and www.simply-nomads.nl. You can live a better life with less stuff, trust us!

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