Motivational speakers, mentors, and gurus preach that everyone must always “go hard or go home” to attain success. The adage promotes traits like hard work and persistence. Whether you work in the employment sector or run your own business, you’re bound to encounter individuals who swear by the hustle culture.
However, recent studies suggest that overattachment to the “hustle” does more harm than good. It forces people to adopt a fast-paced lifestyle. Most adults spend at least 90% of their waking moment working. This practice is actually counterproductive.
If you want to slow down without compromising work, follow the slow movement concept. Most practitioners and believers follow this concept to achieve a more sustainable, mindful, and liberating lifestyle. Stop and smell the roses.
The Origins of the Slow Movement Concept
In the mid 1980s, the slow movement was conceptualized by Carlo Petrini. The mass expansion of the fast-food industry posed a threat to his hometown in Rome. Having one or two McDonald’s restaurants in the heart of Rome would spark modernization, but it would also compromise certain cultures and traditions.
As a response, Carlo Petrini formed the slow movement concept. His efforts prevented large fast-food corporations from taking over their cities, thus allowing hundreds of long-standing establishments to stay in business. What Carlo didn’t know, however, was that the slow movement concept would evolve into a lifestyle.
Nowadays, people follow the slow movement concept to make mindful, sustainable choices. Some benefits of “slowing down” included a reduced carbon footprint, better mental health, and a deeper appreciation for life.
How Following the Slow Movement Can Help You Live More Sustainably
What is the link between the slow movement concept and sustainable living? The slow movement concept has several practices that naturally reduce your carbon footprint. A minimalist, simple person produces less waste, after all. Apart from producing less waste, slow movement best practices help you live sustainably by:
1. Eliminating Disposable, Single-Use Items
People who live and breathe the hustle culture love disposable items because they’re convenient. For example, food containers take 10 to 15 minutes to clean, but it only takes a few seconds to throw out their single-use alternatives.
Unfortunately, this convenience comes at the expense of the environment. Billions of plastic bottles, takeaway containers, cotton rounds, and plastic grocery bags go straight to landfills every day.
To reduce your single-use plastic waste, switch to reusable alternatives. A few extra minutes is all you need to clean and maintain the sustainable alternatives to commonly used plastic items around the house.
Are you having trouble deciding which single-use items to let go of? You don’t have to make drastic changes right away. Start with easy swaps like disposable cotton rounds for LastRound washable cotton pads, plastic bags for reusable grocery bags from Green Bulldog, and bottled hair products for shampoo bars from Ethique.
2. Destroying the Concepts of Materialism and Consumerism
Materialism and consumerism contribute to the country’s growing waste problem. Take smartphones as an example. These devices serve as an alternative to paperback books, notepads, sticky memos, and notebooks. If used properly, your smartphone can help minimize the waste you produce.
However, you cannot utilize these benefits if you keep upgrading to the latest smartphone models. While smartphones have a relatively low impact on the environment, the majority of their carbon footprint comes from the production process. Using smartphones isn’t necessarily bad, but unnecessarily upgrading increases your carbon footprint.
3. Encouraging Slow Fashion Movements
Fast fashion encourages consumers to hop aboard the latest fashion trends, thus allowing capitalists to mass-produce clothing products unethically. We currently produce over 13 million tons of textile waste annually. Wearing fashionable clothes is great, but not at the expense of our planet’s health.
Fortunately, the slow fashion movement directly combats this wasteful lifestyle. The campaign encourages both clothing brands and shoppers to observe a more ethical and sustainable approach to fashion.
Use and produce clothes mindfully. Shoppers don’t have to throw out several pounds of clothes every season, while manufacturers can opt to use more recycled materials.
4. Helping You Live With Intent
Start living with purpose. Working hard to achieve your goals is great, but you shouldn’t lose sight of the world. Life has so much to offer. Focusing solely on one or two long-term goals limits you to very few life experiences.
We advise you to live life with purpose. Dedicate yourself to more than just your career or business goals. Live with the intent and purpose. Trust us—a life spent doing good for others is far more fulfilling than a greedy, self-serving one.
Slow Down and Live More Sustainably
Following the concept of slow movement is a straightforward, effective way to begin living more sustainably. Detach yourself from the fast-paced, consumerist lifestyle. Remember: habits like sporting the trendiest clothes, frequently upgrading to the latest smartphone model, and eating overpriced takeaway contribute to the country’s growing waste problem.
Live life modestly. Focus on enjoying what you have right now instead of amassing excessive wealth, which you cannot exhaust in one lifetime. Not only will you minimize your carbon footprint, but you’ll also feel happier.
