The concept of slow living

In our daily life, we use coffee, energy drinks, alcohol and other stimulants in order to keep up with a crazy busy schedule because the pace we live at is not natural to us. We have been conditioned to think that working until exhaustion in order to afford to buy material things will provide us joy and happiness, and I also believed this. The last 3 weeks in Raches, a small village somewhere in the middle of Greece, which is also my home for the next 5 months, proved me wrong.

This place is all about the people, compassion, kindness, and freedom to discover the best version of yourself. What I learned is that real happiness requires less than we think - material things, a new phone, clothes, fancy jewelry bring us temporary joy - but at what cost? If what we are giving up in order to achieve this lifestyle is losing ourselves, sacrificing peace, mental health, neglecting our loved ones, then it is simply too expensive.

Slow living is all about getting out the fast lane and slowing down to reconnect with nature, enjoying a lifestyle where you earn enough to get by but don´t feel the need to earn millions. A lifestyle about sustainability, spending time outdoors, cherising every second with your loved ones, and plenty of time to discover yourself and enjoy your hobbies.

Therefore, my advice to anyone who is reading this is: treasure every moment, take life as it comes and say no to anything that doesn´t serve you. Read more books, listen to music and watch movies that make you feel deeply, reserve time for yourself, unplug and reconnect with nature. Pure bliss will follow.

Geanina from Romania