What is slow living? Marylander describes a trend that promotes mindfulness and mental health.

BALTIMORE — There’s a lifestyle that’s all about taking things slowly.

Slow living is about taking time and being more conscious of what is important to you in life. With the help of social media, it has become widespread and there is even a book on the subject.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, slow living really took off. On Instagram, the Slow Living hashtag has been used in more than 6 million posts. It has been used in more than 250,000 posts on TikTok.

Deceleration

In a hectic, busy world, Marylander Catherine Volcy likes to enjoy the moment and really take her time.

“[I like to] Sit down, enjoy a meal…make time for your daily tasks. That helped me heal a lot of things,” she said.

That wasn’t always the case.

Volcy said she was constantly in a rush growing up. As she pursued her bachelor’s degree, the strain on her mental health became increasingly apparent.

“Suddenly I start having panic attacks. I have symptoms of anxiety or depression,” Volcy said.

“I haven’t had a panic attack in years”

Studying psychology and learning about the nervous system, the body’s center of mental activity, gave her the idea that she needed to slow down. This led to her discovering the slow lifestyle.

It’s about slowing down, being present and becoming more mindful and conscious of your actions and decisions. The goal is to have more time for what is important to you.

For Volcy, it’s what she needed.

“I was literally suffering from multiple panic attacks every week, they just came and I didn’t know how to deal with them.” [to now] “I haven’t had a panic attack in years,” Volcy said.

Volcy has been living slowly for a few years now. Even if she still has anxious thoughts here and there or feels rushed, she can now cope with them without any problems.

“It was a night and day difference,” Volcy said. “I feel like I can be present when I talk to people. The way my inner world is, I have a lot more control.”

“Just look within”

Stephanie O’Dea used to write slow cooker recipes, but now writes and podcasts about slow living. In her new book, Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World, she made Slow an acronym: Simply Look Only Within.

In her approach, O’Dea believes that slow living begins with decluttering – not just physical things, but everything that comes to mind. She said it’s about deciding what’s important to you.

“With a little purposeful planning and intentional living, you can actually do all things, you just choose what’s important and kind of discard the rest,” O’Dea said.