Urban slow: Calm in big cities
We’re always encouraged to do more, do better, and do it quicker. Being busy is glorified as a measurement of success. We are overloaded by digital and rushed, especially in mega-cities.
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If we are on our way or having a short break, a message pops up or any distraction on our phone. We are also gradually transitioning to a time when the average person will simultaneously have more customer service conversations with artificial intelligence bots on multiple digital sites. I found it unsustainable in the long run.
I always lived in cities. I grew up in Lisbon and have lived for more than one decade in Scandinavian cities. Living in different countries opened up diverse points of view to me on how to approach life. That was what hinted me to feel at home in different environments through learnings along the way. It is more about mindset than location anyway, and we can start in whatever situation we’re currently in.
Living slowly in a big city is possible. It means stepping away from negative thoughts and acting in response to a situation by adopting a creative mindset, leaving the rat race and allowing life to flow at its own pace. It does not mean not sitting by and doing nothing but curating my time to be devoted to the things that matter to me — filtering out unnecessary distractions, allowing myself to enjoy life, and being honest about what truly matters.
We believe that we can add meaning to life by making things go faster. We have an idea that life is short — and that we must go fast to fit everything in. The problem is that we don’t know how to spend our time wisely. — Carlo Petrini, Founder of the Slow Food Movement.
Below, I share a set of sections I have defined, aiming to overcome the drain with joyful moments — a more considerate slower road in urban life, which has helped me shift to a more valuable life:
1.A gentler pace of life
Perhaps we should start buying fewer things and embrace more memorable experiences. How about fixing, learning and listening to a bit more? Avoiding technology or leaving the phone away at some part of the day. Detoxifying more often. We can define our goals and make space for them daily. Creating the opportunities, we aim for little by little and remove the tasks which are not aligned with our values and goals. They are noisy and create clutter in our heads.
2. A good home
Our homes can bring us joy during our present dwellings. If we have fresh, light, organized spaces with natural materials and some plants, they can bring us power and energize us. After a day out in the city, we must have a place to come home to that fills us with calmness instead of more stress. See if you can apply some principles of minimalism to your space so that your home isn’t filled with more stuff than it can handle. The fewer things we have in our home to worry about, the less time we spend on maintenance, organizing and cleaning, and the more time we’ll spend on enjoyable experiences instead. The art of homemaking can be one of life’s great greatest pleasures. With a bit of effort, we can turn our space into something that represents and embellishes us.
3. Eat well
Sadly, we are living through a time where food is sometimes reduced to the calorific value it holds. What about the pleasure of enjoying tasteful and healthy meals cooked with fresh and organic ingredients, preferably locally produced.
The choices we collectively make will affect our environment in the short- and long-term future. Together we must step up and embrace ethical food habits through systemic thinking.
When I was working at Designit, I wrote an article on Medium referring to 4 design principles we came up with on ethical food consumption.
Buy it with thought.
Serve just enough.
Eat what is left.
Compost with care.
4. Move more
Our health is our most valuable source in life, and keeping our bodies fit, and flexible doesn’t mean just shutting us away in airless underground gyms. Liveable cities have various options boosted with clean air, green spaces close to nature, the river or the seaside. They are walkable or cyclable from point A to B. True luxury is clean air, wide-open spaces and a balance between nature and urban areas where citizens and the ecosystem can thrive.
5. See new places
Change of scenery during the weekend by taking a train not far from where you live. Those escapes offer you space to unwind, experience some quiet reflection, or meet people who changed their lives to live at a slower pace.
6. Dress with care
How we dress affects more than how we’re seen. Buy a little less, but spend a little more. It’s quality over quantity. Cheap doesn’t mean that it doesn’t cost much. Someone else is paying the price in a factory with no or low employer rights somewhere in Bangladesh or similar. If you would like to learn more about the subject, I suggest you read about the who made my clothes movement and how it all started.
Fortunately, sustainable, good-quality products generally last longer, so we’re better off in the long term. Buy better quality items that cost more, use them for years, and you’ll spend less.
7. Get lost
After living in a city for a while, getting caught up in the daily swing is easy. We become annoyed with the city and its abundance of inhabitants rather than appreciating its beauty and all it has to offer. Now and then, take a different route to your usual destination, or try out a place that was recently renewed or new. Or, go out for no reason and explore a new neighbourhood. Be present. Pretend you’re a traveller visiting for the first time, and try to notice what’s around you. Take a different route to your usual destination.
8. Make time to..
Read, dance, delight and escape. Try to go to exhibitions, screenings, bookshops, and festivals if you like creativity. Add more experiences that inspire you. See less but better. Sometimes it is not what you see. It’s about the attitude and the openness you embrace in life. Take time to do rewarding things that broaden your horizons and create offline moments and connections with others.
Be more into Nature, add activities to your life outside, connect with the land and the beings around you, or get stuck in the joy of community. Take care of your health.
Also, make time for a side project outside of your professional life that makes you inspired and energized. Or, learn new skills!
These are my takeaways on how to embrace a slower pace in big cities. Let’s make sure we all become healthier as individuals, people, and societies in the short and long term. Our lifestyles or every action we take in our community reflects on Earth. We are all related to one another and our environment.
