It’s been a while. Again, I don’t really have any excuses except for the fact that I was trying to have the best hot girl summer yet. But now it’s bad bitch autumn. My favourite time of year. I love the moody weather, the changing colours, the comfort food and of course pumpkin flavoured everything.

I honesly started out my autumn with some very good creative intentions. And then I got covid. Which really made my slow living ethos extra slow. I didn’t really have much energy to do anything and I couldn’t see anyone or even go into the office. It was a pretty solitary two weeks for Elliott and I. But we’re both better now and ready to start making the most of what the autumnal season brings.

Despite the importance slow living has on my life I have decided I have been lacking routine, discipline and structure lately. Which I recognise as my sign that my mental health is going to take a nose dive. So to combat this I decided to take some action - I crafted a content calendar for the remainder of the year, started to plan my meals again, scheduled some flexible time for exercise and even penciled in my remaining annual leave for the year.

To some people this isn’t very “slow-living” of me. But as I’ve always said slow living is what you make of it. To me it doesn’t always mean taking everyday as it comes with no plans, no goals and no intentions. It means doing what you want with your own time regardless of societal expectations and pressures. For me, I don’t pride myself on hussle culture, being “that girl” or putting pressue on myself to do too much in order to get ahead.

Slow living is about being on your own timeline and spending your free time how you want. It’s about not comparing your lifestyle to what society or others expect of you. It’s about living how you truly want to live. After all, we only have this life and it’s important we do not waste it trying to be someone we are not.

So for me, it’s important that whilst I do what I want with my time, I check in with myself from time to time. I am one of those people who, if unchecked, can easily slip into lazy, hermit-like habits where I veg out on the sofa after work and basically stop exisiting as a person. I stop contacting people, I stop taking care of myself and inevitable this makes me feel miserable. Therefore whilst slow living is important to me, so is setting intentional goals and sticking to a loose routine. That’s how I feel my best and ensure I am in fact “living my best life”.

Don’t let gate keepers tell you that you cannnot be part of the slow living community if you don’t abide by their rules of being a free spirit at all times. This isn’t realistic for most of us. As long as your living your life as you please and you are looking after yourself you are already living your best slow living life. So, keep at it. I’ll be there with you.