August Recap

It’s been a while. And that’s okay. If you’ve been with me since I started these recap blog posts then you probably know I’ve been making a more conscious effort to lead a slower-paced life. To me slower-paced life doesn’t mean being boring, lazy or unmotivated. It means making time for things I enjoy doing - even if that’s just taking an afternoon to read on my sofa or spending a few moments gazing out the window on a rainy day.

Before I started consciously choosing a slower-paced lifestyle - I used to put pressure on myself to do things that were considered productive. I’d write on my blog at least once a week even if I didn’t like the content, I’d try to do all of the household cleaning in one day and I’d feel guilty if I didn’t achieve everything on my to-do list. The thing is, in the grand scheme of life my to-do lists weren’t important. What’s important to me now is looking after my mental health and taking time to do things for me, not things that I thought were deemed essential by society.

When I stopped caring about what was traditional and considered successful by society and started caring about what I wanted to do and needed I found myself becoming happier. I was having less issues with anxiety, I stopped feeling doubtful of myself and I became more confident in the person I am. I’m finally learning that there is no point in forcing myself to do things and putting pressure on myself to do things that ultimately make me unhappy. Of course, I have to do somethings I don’t like from time to time but I make sure that the amount of enjoyable things in my life outweigh these.

Adopting a slow-paced lifestyle has not only taught me to enjoy the little things more - it’s also taught me that taking care of yourself mentally and physically is and should always be your first priority. After all, you only get one body, one life and on soul and if you don’t look after them, no one else will.