14 simple easy ways to embrace a slow routine in your daily life

Being someone who was raised with a strong belief to be productive every day, busy every waking moment, the term “Slow down routine” would sound vague. Our society glorifies busyness. It associates high efficiency, productivity, and alike with busyness. Back in time, I was a firm believer in success led by productivity. I had a good corporate job, a new family was about to begin, my wardrobe was full of new clothes, bags, and shoes. Yet I was miserable. I was exhausted throughout the day.  The morning started around 6 and then a race to tick off all to-do lists.

After years of burnout, I accepted the need for a break and I quit. Of course, it was hard to explain to others why. Most are still unable to comprehend my reasons, later that overshadowed with my motherhood. Being the first woman in the family who stepped outside the home to work I was looked up to with high regard. Cousins were given examples to be the next-me, somethings that scares me deep. Still does.

The exhaustion left a tried version of me, one who was cranky right from morning alarm. There was a constant toll on my mental health. That’s when I realized I have to put a brake on everything and choose those that really matter. My mental-physical-emotional health moved from neglected status to a priority.

While I was society standard productive and busy, the picture was a show for others. Living for others vs living for yourself can change you as a person.

Today, I have a home to run, raise a 4 year old who is curious about everything he can see, freelance projects, assist my husband in his firm. I am as rich as a church mouse but am surrounded by contentment. Of course, there are grey days but focusing on brighter days works better.

My daily slow down routine is not that one you can google or search “10 ways to be productive all day”. But rather it is okay to move at your own pace. Our human body has a set pace, a natural rhythm, like a clock of its own. It also needs a break to recharge and get energized.

Once a reader had mentioned that “I have a luxury of time”. I am grateful to have this, right from the bottom of my heart. But I do hope this post serves as a reminder to all to take it slow and ways to inject healthy living within a busy life.

If you are stressed, anxious, and exhausted, tired from the daily grind I suggest you take a break, not asking you to quit your job, but take time to refresh yourself. Ask yourself what needs to be done. Choose what you identify the most and what is important to you. Reset your life.

My slow life and my slow routine are a part of my mindful living. I feel abundant living an intentional life. If this life in slow lane appeals to you, dive in to have a good peek at our slow happy life.

Our slow routine

Being an introvert and raising an extrovert child is exhausting for me. There are household chores, freelance projects, homeschooling (not the online schooling assisted by schools) that wait for their turn to show up. So, I rely a lot on planning and taking breaks throughout the day to keep myself energized.

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”

—Mohandas K. Gandhi

Let’s understand that we things are in our daily routine like brushing our teeth, bathing. And there are few tasks that needs to be done on need or on demand, they can be shelfed for a day or later if you have too many things for the day.

Start by planning

Choose the most important priorities of the day, utmost 3. It is easy to have a long long list of things that needs to be done, but narrow down the list and stick with 3 or lesser. On Sunday I take care of laundry, re-evaluate the weekly lesson planner, and meals of the week.

Break your day

If you are a mom to an active toddler or preschooler you know the carving for a hot mug of coffee or tea. Hot, not the one left aside to turn cold and then gulp. Whoever you are, we all deserve breaks to nourish ourselves before starting another task. This is not the coffee break one take to go have a gossip and kill time. This break is ought to be for you, just you.

Choose how many breaks you need throughout the day. My husband works great with 2 breaks but I need small breaks all over the day. These breaks can be of 2 minutes when you just take deep breathe or 20 as you chew down your food slowly. Everyone is unique, so is their needs.

I slow down in chunks, during mornings before the rush hour hits, one during afternoon, another during the evenings and last one before the bedtime. At times I thrive well with 2 breaks on other days we take as many as possible.

Slow mornings

Being a mother waking up an hour or two earlier than child(ren) always helps. You will have time to make sometime for yourself and kick start the day well. Some of the daily rituals that I have in my morning slow routine are to boost the mind.

1.Practice 5-4-3-2-1 exercise.
My morning brain is foggy and takes time to settle with a glass of preferably lukewarm water. This exercise awakes my brain.

2. Write a gratitude journal
The best way to count your blessings.  My love for gratitude journals is deep and I could write pages on its appraisal.

3. No gadget morning
No smartphone till breakfast. Poor thing is silent for the most part of the day, much to my husband’s, and domestic help’s irritation. If you meet me on Instagram you might notice most of my Good morning stories are posted after 10 in the morning or even by afternoon.

4. Start from a clean spot
I need our 4 years old Penguin for this. A clean bed kick starts our day. Internet will give you enough research articles for reasons to start with a clean tidy bed in the morning.

5. Stretches 
I love long walks but for now during this pandemic, settling down with stretches. Few basic stretches for neck, wrist, fingers, shoulders, ankles, hands, legs and spine is a must for all. Every alternate day my child joins me for yoga and we practice few asanas.

Slow afternoons

Afternoons are the mid day, half tasks are done, half more to go. This is also are good time to add stillness in life with a slow routine.

6. Read a book

Ask a bibliophile what would you like to read today 😊. Give me a cup of masala tea, a window nook and a book, I am at peace for hours. Meanwhile we all know the benefits of reading and more information is flooded all over the internet.

During our quite time or alone time, as we bracket the time when 4 years old Penguin plays or read independently, it is my reading time.

These days am reading, The Stationary  Shop of Tehran by Marjan Kamali.

7. Take a nap

There are days when I am exhausted mentally and/or physically even before its afternoon. A quick nap improves my alertness, stamina and mood like a magic wand. Otherwise my 4 years old have to handle a very cranky clingy parent. If not taking a nap, you already know my nose is in a book.

With social media having an influence on us, it is quite temping to mindlessly scroll through Instagram feeds. But then when you are making your priorities clear by slowing down, do choose the one that would leave you happy and fresh.

8. Work on a hobby

It took a pandemic for many to realize their inner forgotten skills. People found their lost love of cooking, gardening, writing, painting. Hope we all stick with our creative side even when the pandemic meets its cure.  Create something that makes you happy and fulfilling.

At home afternoons are also time for craft activities. I can’t say enough the benefits of making crafts with toddlers and preschoolers or even grownups.

9. Make a cup of good tea or coffee

Nothing like a good cup of warm coffee or tea and enjoying it. Enjoying it is the key.

You might be one working at office or from home or a stay at home person, a cup of good beverage gives a much-needed break for all.

Related – Art of mindful green tea drinking ; How to make a perfect green tea mindfully?

If you ever visit my little house, you might notice a book next to a cozy pillow over a chatai (mat) placed near window and filter coffee in hand. The place vanishes by evening and returns only by next afternoon. There are days when the book stays quietly next to me and my child joins me with a glass of water in hand. Gulping our liquids slowly we talk about birds, clouds and dogs of the neighborhood.

10. Make time for skincare

My skincare routine is bare minimum and mostly out from kitchen shelves. Turmeric, gram flour, yogurt, honey, cinnamon, coconut oil is used on our food and skin. On days when my skin carves for little more attention, I whip a quick meal for skin. Be it honey-cinnamon mask or gram flour- turmeric- yogurt face pack. 10 minutes are enough for me to have happy skin. That’s the day when I feel good and want to look great. My late grandma, may her soul rest in peace, was a schmick in this. She would use paste Neem and basil leaves with fuller’s earth for skincare.

Related – Feeling beautiful can make you an awesome mother.

Slow evenings

By evening time, most of us would have ideally wrapped office work and spent some quality family time. Join your spouse and child(ren), even other family member and create a safe heaven. This is ideal time to add some slow down routine too.

11. Go for a walk

We are big fans of outdoor time and nature walk. That is a part of our daily morning ritual with our child. Taking a walk feeling coolness of evening breeze and looking out for moon ands stars is our thing. One of the evening rituals I learnt from our neighbor old couple during our Pune stay was Shatapawali. That’s the ago old Indian custom of taking a stroll after a meal. Even Rujuta Diwekar talks about this in her Fitness Projects and books.

Our child takes this time for moon journaling as well. That’s another story of talks we have in loops about moon, stars and planets.

12. Go to a library

Perhaps the most visited places on Earth by Penguin, my child and me after parks are libraries. We love to get lost inside libraries. Unfortunately, we relocated to a smaller city a year ago with no libraries nearby. Hence, we took shelter of bookstores. The Covid-19 pandemic forced us indoors are we started growing our bookshelves. But still if libraries are first love.

13. Meet the friends

How many friends do you have? Not the reach on social media, but the ones who care for you. I have a handful and our friendships are decades old. We are living across the globe, divided by time zones. We all have a family to look after and things that needs to be done before the end of the day.

I learned from one of my friends to stay connected, in real even when we meet once is a year or at time once in five years. She took effort to meet me and other either via a call or video call and even in person.

Talking to my friends even for the introvert me makes me feel light and happy. There are things that we can discuss with our friends, ask for their suggestions, laugh aloud.

I might not talk everyday with all of them but we start from same page whenever we talk.

14. Work on calendar

Prepare for a day a night before. This sounds cliché and found in most self-help books. But this has the power of habit. By the evening or before hitting bed I grab my planner to check the plan for next day, schedule or analyze the next day meal, to -do list, lesson planner and important meetings. This help me remember if I have forgotten any upcoming event, post schedule, birthdays or even vaccinations.

While in this post I mentioned things that work for me and my family, there is no rule on ways to slowing down. We all are unique and so is our life, priorities and need. Our modern life is fast paced, hectic, add few routines in your daily life that help you live in the present. Enjoy the quite still moments. Add some slow routine to bring a positivity and awareness.

Do let me know if you are planning or already have these slow routine ideas in your life. I am all ears to know your opinion.

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