Sometimes I look at the slow living aesthetic and think it is something I can never have. It’s not true. Slow living is a way of being, of doing. The doing can be whatever you want it to be. You don’t have to can your own preserves, make your wardrobe by hand, eschew all forms of corporate work, electronics, or city life. It’s just you. Slowing down. Taking a deep breath. Appreciating all that is around you. Giving yourself a chance to be.

Here is a list of things I’m going to do to embrace slow living. Channel my inner self. Hear the whispers of God in the wind. Move at a pace that is exhilarating in a different way.

• Less TV. I don’t watch much TV but it’s always on. Unnecessary background noise. I’m working towards having it off more than it’s on. It’s not needed, it’s filling my brain with nonsense. Remembering the Oscar Mayer song is not going to serve me the same way that remembering the beatitudes, the works of Edgar Allan Poe, or even the book I read last night. But why am I saying less and not none? Because this is an activity my husband and I do together. I will not sacrifice the few shows we have in common. Because our reading preferences are not even close to being similar.
• Cooking more. I enjoy cooking but since it’s only me and my husband at home, I do it less and less. Especially since I’ve been called back to work in the office. However, going back to Sunday roasts and maybe even picking up a Saturday meal will be a much more productive use of my time. Productive and slow. Now there’s an oxymoron.
• Naps. I get up quite early most days so on the weekends, I enjoy my naps. During the week, it may even mean going to bed shortly after I get home. I do not deny myself rest. No one would want to be around me without the proper amount of sleep.
• Cards. My sister and I play cards one day a week. Typically, between two to four hours. During that time, there is no noise. Other than a little chat while we’re shuffling, we want total silence. It takes concentration to strategize properly. And win.
• Walks: No music. No podcast. The sound of leaves rustling in the wind, birds singing their lullabies, kids whizzing on bikes, and dogs barking friendly greetings. Those are the things I want to hear.

• Commutes: I have a long commute each day and am spending anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours on the road. I’m not great at audiobooks because my mind tends to wander. With podcasts, I have the same issue, but do listen to them until I find myself drifting off. Once my mind starts drifting, I usually turn on my jams, i.e., yacht rock. I now use some of that time for quiet. The goal is for the quiet to become greater. Large in its nothingness. To learn to focus. Even on the mundane. It shouldn’t be mundane. I’m traveling through school zones, stopping behind buses, going through construction. For everyone’s safety, it’s best that I learn to be in the driving zone. Instead of zoning out.
• Meals: Actually, eating at a table instead of behind my wheel, in front of the TV, or at my desk. Me, a table, some good food, and on the most pleasant of days, some company.
• Hobbies: At this point, anyone who’s been around for any length of time knows what these are: knitting, reading, writing, journaling (although I am quite sporadic with this), and planning (a.k.a., playing with stickers). Especially knitting. There is something therapeutic about the soft clicking sounds as the needles turn the yarn into something beautiful. Hats, scarves, throws, simple but beautiful.
• Silent Mornings. I’m not really the type of person to listen to or watch anything while I’m preparing for my day. But to continue to be mindful of that time is critical. The reason is simple: if I’m allowing noise into my special morning time, it’s much easier to creep into time I have to consciously make silent. Until it all becomes a part of me.
• Writing. When I’m inspired, I write. Without constant distraction, I find inspiration comes more often. In moments I least expect it. And when it’s ready to move on, I let it drift away.