TikTok’s “Slow Living” Trend Can Help You Savor The Small Moments

While everyone else is busy dealing with chaotic work days, jam-packed schedules, and evenings full of endless scrolling, some people are choosing to exit the rat race and embrace the “slow living” lifestyle, which is all about, well, slowing down.

Slow living, a topic with over 240,000 related posts on TikTok, is the aptly named lifestyle choice to deliberately step away from the hustle and grind of modern life. For some, it means leaving a fast-paced job or moving to the countryside to raise chickens. For others, it’s simply about romanticizing everyday moments, whether that means starting the morning with a homemade breakfast or dabbling in chilled-out hobbies, like reading or gardening.

To paint a picture of the vibe, many slow-living TikToks feature the soothing tinkle of piano music while someone lovingly brews a cup of tea or gently stirs a batch of muffin batter. You won’t see TVs, phone screens, or lengthy to-do lists, but you will spy cozy, dimly lit homes, candles, meandering walks in nature, and plenty of knitted sweaters. Slow living is partially an aesthetic, but it’s mostly a way of life.

Slow living is touted as the perfect remedy for anyone dealing with stress or burnout, and it’s said to be beneficial even if you partake in the trend in the smallest of ways. Below, therapists talk about the upside of slow living, as well as how to give it a try.

What Is Slow Living?

For a quick definition, “slow living is all about staying present and aligned with yourself,” says Kim Burris, LMFT, a licensed holistic therapist and founder of The Holistic Counseling Center. “It’s about rejecting hustle culture and embracing living life at a pace that encourages staying in touch with your intuition, nourishing your nervous system, and living life with intention and purpose.”

There are so many unique ways to interpret this definition, too. On TikTok, creator @jodie.melissa explained what slow living means to her. After realizing she had burnout and exhaustion, she experimented with slowing down and decided to find ways to be more deliberate, present, and grounded in her day-to-day life.

“You can still work a 9-to-5, not live off-grid, and even enjoy busy moments,” she said in a video, which has 11,000 likes. In another, she went on to say she looks for ways to consciously spend her time, usually by baking instead of shopping or reading instead of watching TV. She’ll also go for walks, arrange flowers, and take her time while doing chores.

You can think of slow living as the art of replacing urgency and chaos with a sense of calm and relaxation. Instead of eating breakfast over the kitchen sink, you might sit down, use a real plate, and enjoy the moment without your phone. Instead of agreeing to five after-work activities, you might decide to stay home and read. And instead of doom-scrolling before bed, you might nestle in with a good book.

This lifestyle also reminds you to rethink your priorities in life, especially as it relates to overworking and overspending. The more you let go of the need to overdo and over-achieve, the easier it is to practice slow living.

The Benefits Of Slow Living

Since this trend is just about slowing down, doing less, and appreciating more, it’s easy to see why it might be good for you. “Slow living directly impacts your stress levels, nervous system capacity, and overall mental health,” says Burris. “Being deliberate is a mindfulness practice that offers more presence and attention to the task at hand, resulting in less stress and more enjoyment in your life.”

As you romanticize simpler moments, you also open up space in your mind to think, daydream, and relax — instead of constantly hyper-focusing on tasks and to-dos. “This literally wires your brain for connection, joy, and pleasure in life,” says Burris, and the ripple effect can lead to a greater sense of gratitude and a general sense of calm.

How To Embrace Slow Living

Most people can’t abandon their jobs, move on a whim, or forget about their daily responsibilities, so thankfully there are plenty of ways to slow down and embrace slow living right where you are.

“Sometimes the practice of slow living is as easy as slowing down as you walk to the bathroom, taking a moment to look outside and breathe deeply as you drink coffee before you head out the door for your morning commute, or getting into bed five minutes early and putting on some frequency music to reset your nervous system,” says Burris.

According to psychiatrist Brook Choulet, MD, you can also slow down by adding blocks of time into your calendar specifically meant for focusing on one task at a time. “This could look like implementing the Pomodoro Method, which is where you work for 20 minutes and take a 10-minute break to do something you enjoy, like walking outside,” she tells Bustle.

At home, Choulet recommends setting boundaries around social media and other loud or over-stimulating hobbies. “This is the time when you could be doing a slow, mindful activity, such as enjoying nature, journaling, meditating, or simply engaging in in-person social connections,” she says.

As you go about your day, keep an eye out and you’ll start to see all the ways you can be present in the moment. “[This helps you live] with intention and slow down the pace of life around you,” says Choulet.

The Takeaway

There’s a reason why this trend is so popular on TikTok and beyond. “Slow living offers an alternative to burnout culture and provides a way of being in the world that encourages wellness, balance, and ease,” says Burris. “[As a therapist,] I know the power of slowing down and being intentional. Even just five minutes a day has an impact and can seriously support your mental, emotional, and physical well-being.”

Sources:

Kim Burris, LMFT, licensed holistic therapist, founder of The Holistic Counseling Center

Brook Choulet, MD, psychiatrist, founder of Choulet Performance Psychiatry