How to go slow and savour every moment
How often do we really take the time to stop, smell the flowers and just enjoy our life?
If you're like most people, it's far too little. We're so busy creating a better future for ourselves that we forget to regulate our pasts. We don't really savor the moments we have. But when is the best time to do this? Now! It's time to slow travel.
1.Make time to do nothing
When you embrace the art of doing nothing, you can gain more creativity, enjoyment of life, and an ability to be even more productive.
In the book Four Seconds, author Peter Bregman writes:
My best ideas come to me when I am unproductive. When I’m running or showering or sitting, or doing nothing, or waiting for someone […] They are the moments in which we, often unconsciously, organize our minds, make sense of our lives, and connect the dots
Make a conscious effort to plan time to "do nothing" during your travels. This can allow you to step away from the daily grind and reset, relax more, and enjoy your trip more.
In How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, the artist, writer, and Stanford professor Jenny Odell gives readers permission to do nothing. She wants them to be human in a body and place.
Redirect your attention to the natural surroundings (yacimientos Arqueológicos, cenotes) for a better you. Odell's strategy allows us to resist the profit-driven tech landscape that, in separating our bodies and co-opting our attention, could be torching our ability to live meaningful lives, and preventing us from noticing.
Odell offers birdwatching as an antidote. Birdwatching, Odell believes, is a way to concentrate on the natural environment and see that beauty in the world, instead of succumbing to the distractions available in our digital world.
2. Learn few words in a local language
Understanding the local language is essential when you travel to a new country. You will understand the culture better, you will know how to approach people, and a lot more.
3. Try cooking local food and drinks
Slow travel is becoming as popular as slow food. If you haven’t traveled slowly yet, this method of traveling is perfect for you. Cooking local food and drinks is one of the best ways to slow down, enjoy your life and make a positive impact on the local community while you are at it. For beginners in slow traveling, try out cooking some local dishes by following the recipes from your host! This ensures that you will be able to explore not only the food culture but also the daily life and habits of locals.
4. Get a bike tour
If you’re new to exploring by bike, we recommend a short multi-day tour. That way, you’ll learn everything you need to know while having time to explore a city at your own pace as it suits you.
4. Book a Retreat
Many retreats include yoga, others focus on your mental wellbeing and include massages, while still others teach you about nutrition. Also, you can practice Detox Retreats, Silence or Luxury Retreats. It can last an average of between 3 and 7 days.
5.Get Lost
When exploring a new place, you can never go wrong with getting lost. Letting yourself get turned around or missing your turn can be frustrating at first. But traveling without a plan can be the most rewarding kind of travel. Set yourself up for a memorable traveling experience by doing one of these three things when you lose your way.
Conclusion: Do something nice for yourself every day but make sure it's not too busy or overindulgent so that you don't miss out on the real rewards of a slower life.
