Slow Living

Slow Living 101: What the Slow Living Philosophy Is, and Isn't

Recently, the concept of slow living has become more mainstream. As people realize that they no longer enjoy the constant fast-paced society we live in, more and more are starting to shift their lifestyles.

What Slow Living Is

Slow living is a philosophy that promotes quality over quantity in all its forms. It's the idea that, with a few changes, you can step away from the hustle and bustle when the time is right to do so. A key idea behind slow living is taking a moment to determine the right amount of time to spend on a task. It may be fast, or it may be a bit slower. It is a shift from doing things as fast as possible to as well and as presently as possible.

What Slow Living Isn't

Slow living does not mean doing everything at a snail's pace. It is not about taking as long as possible to complete tasks, curating your home to match a certain aesthetic, or spending your days baking bread. From slow food to sustainability to reducing mindless purchasing, there are so many ways to live a slower life that it is impossible to stick to one given framework. Instead, understanding the core principles can help guide you to make the changes that suit your lifestyle. Slow living isn't about perfection, and it isn't only for people who "can" slow down. You need to make conscious choices to slow down your life; it will not happen for you.

How Animals Can Teach Us

As you can tell by our name, we love pets, and they are a perfect example of slow living. Pets show us that it is okay to live in the moment by being happy when we come home, when we sit with them on the couch, and when they go for a ride in the car. They show us that getting outside makes everything better with their uninhibited joy at hearing the word "walkies." They teach us that once our basic needs are met, we can be happy. It isn't about having the newest or best leash or toys; most dogs are happy with the basics.

How to Start Implementing Slow Living in Your Life

• Examine your relationship with technology. How much time, consciously and not, do you spend in front of your devices? Do you scroll on your phone while the television is on? Slow living is about understanding when enough is enough and it's time to put the screens away and be present.
• Unlearn the "go, go, go" mentality. Whether it's the constantly updating world of social media or the idea that we must always be doing something, FOMO (fear of missing out) is exactly what slow living tries to prevent. Learning to say no in order to prioritize what's important to you is crucial. Sitting down and being honest with yourself about your boundaries, what brings you joy, and what you have the bandwidth for is a great first step.
• Slow down at mealtimes. So many of us are on our phones or watching TV while we eat, which leads to mindless meals. Did you know that the average person spends a little over one hour per week eating? It takes approximately 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to send out signals of fullness, so eating at a slower pace helps prevent overeating. During your next meal, time yourself, then try to increase that time by a minute each day.

At HempMy Pet, we incorporate many ideas from the slow living movement into our business. In the garden, we let our plants grow as long as they need to reach the quality and efficacy we stand for. During extraction, we make sure the process is done slowly at very low temperatures to maintain the integrity of the extract. And during formulation, we make our hemp-infused oils and biscuits in small batches to ensure consistency and potency. Loving care and quality are at the core of everything we do, and we love that this philosophy promotes the same for all of our lives.