Technology has made our world connected and fast-paced as ever, impacting our quality and speed of life. Conversations, information, and news travels faster than ever before. People are expected to be connected 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Working after leaving the office has become the norm. “Hustle culture” has caused many people to experience extreme points of burnout. Our fast-paced lifestyles take their toll on our mind, body, and spirit. Everything, from our health and diet to our relationships, families, communities, and schools is suffering from busyness and it’s also hurting our ability to think, link, innovate, create work, be productive, and be creative. But the faster things become, the more our subconsciousness rebels wanting to slow us down. Carl Honoré, author of In Praise of Slowness: How A Worldwide Movement Is Challenging the Cult of Speed says that:
“I think of slow [living] as more of a mindset than anything else, it’s quality over quantity. It’s doing things with presence, being in the moment. Ultimately, it’s about doing everything as well as possible instead of as fast as possible.”
The movement resonates with so many because people are sick of fast-forwarding through their lives—and the consequences that go along with that lifestyle. “We’re racing through our lives instead of actually living them,” says Honoré. “Turning every moment of the day into a dash takes a toll, and it’s hurting us in so many ways.”. Watch Carl’s TED talk on praise of slowness: