Life

Life

Vale Philip Hayward-Surry (1945 – 2025)

Posted on by Corey Stewart

Last week, I lost a good friend. The world lost a good man. And I lost one of my greatest musical champions… Philip Hayward-Surry.

I first met Phil when I was 16 and back then, I was just a young kid with big dreams, a few completed songs and a guitar. Phil was one of the first people to truly see something in me. He didn’t just encourage me, he made one of his missions in life to invest his time, his belief, and his heart into my music and my journey.

Phil became one of my original mentors in music and in life.

He was always there, quietly in my corner, gently pushing me to dig deeper, to play better, to write more honestly. Even in his final days, he never stopped nudging me to reach higher and be the best I could be.

In many ways, it felt like Phil lived musically through the people he supported. He poured his passion into us (the musicians/songwriters/artists that he believed in) and in doing so, he helped us believe in ourselves.

I was just one of few lucky enough to stand on his shoulders.

Now that he’s gone, there a big hole in my musical life which is going to be hard to fill. There’s now an empty chair at every gig, an unspoken bit of advice I wish I could still hear. But I know Phil well enough to know he wouldn’t want me (or any of us for that matter) to stop.

Wherever he is now, I know he’s still in my corner, still cheering me on from the sidelines. I miss him deeply, but I carry him with me every time I pick up my guitar or step on stage.

Thank you, Phil, for believing in me when I barely believed in myself. Thank you for your patience, your guidence, your encouragement, and your friendship. I hope I can pass onto others even just a fraction of what you gave me.

Phil, it’s now time to rest easy mate. I’ll keep playing and I know you’ll keep listening.

Peace,

Corey

Life

How I Try To Stay Sane In An Insane World

Posted on by Corey Stewart

Let’s face it: the world can feel like a lot sometimes. Between the noise, the speed, the pressure, and the never-ending stream of information and opinions, it’s no wonder so many of us are struggling just to keep our heads on straight.

I’ve thought about this a lot lately… “How does one stay sane in a seemingly insane world?”

Well, I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I do have a few things I do every single day that help keep me grounded. They’re not flashy. They won’t go viral. But they work (most of the time), and I thought I’d share them with you here.

1. Pick Your Battles… Carefully

I used to take everything on. Every conversation, every disagreement, every online outrage. But these days, I’m learning to consciously choose which battles are worth engaging in and which ones are just unnecessary stress in disguise.

Truth is, I don’t need external influences to stress me out, I can do that perfectly well on my own. So now, I’m much more selective about where I put my energy. If something doesn’t align with the kind of life I’m trying to live, I let it pass me by.

2. Create a Life Within the Life

Living in Yankalilla is, for me, a real-life expression of this idea. It’s quiet. It’s intentional. It’s a choice to live a reality that feels meaningful to me, one that exists within, but isn’t controlled by, the larger world around it.

Out here, I get to focus on what matters: music, writing, mindfulness, friendship. I’m not trying to escape the world, I’m just creating my own rhythm inside it.

3. Be Very Careful What You Let In

I’ve stopped watching TV and cut out all streaming services. I especially avoid the news, it just doesn’t serve me anymore.

The only thing I watch now is YouTube, and that’s because I get to choose exactly what I consume. Most of the time, it’s something educational, something that feeds my curiosity instead of draining me.

It’s amazing how different life feels when you filter out the noise.

4. Stay Connected With the People Who Matter

I keep in close contact with my friends. It’s not about how often we talk, it’s about the quality of the connection when we do.

A good conversation can re-calibrate your entire day. Real human connection is a lifeline in a world that often feels disconnected and chaotic.

5. Immerse Myself in Creativity

For me, creativity is a lifeline. Whether it’s songwriting, music practice, or running my recording studio for my own projects (and the projects of others), I try to live in that creative space as often as I can.

It’s not about chasing success, it’s about staying connected to the part of me that creates just because.

That’s sanity.

6. Make Time For Silence

I meditate every day. And for long stretches of time, there’s silence in the house. I mean proper silence, no music, no background noise, just stillness.

Most of the time, I’d rather hear nothing than have music constantly playing in the background. Silence helps me reset.

It’s in those quiet spaces that I find clarity. And peace.

7. Let Go of the Need to Be Right

This one was big for me. I used to need to be right, in conversations, debates, whatever. But I’ve done a lot of work on that, and I really do feel like I’ve made some serious progress.

These days, I don’t need to win arguments. I don’t need to change someone’s mind. I just need to live my truth and let others live theirs.

It’s incredibly freeing.

8. Make Small Acts Matter

I often say, “The smallest of changes make the biggest of differences,” and I really believe that. I try to do one small thing each day to centre myself. It could be journalling, stepping outside for a minute, brewing a slow cup of coffee, or just breathing deeply.

These small acts remind me that I’m alive, not just surviving, but actually living.

9. Help Where You Can

I’m lucky to live on a street where everyone knows each other and helps out when they can. There’s something beautiful about that kind of community, the kind that doesn’t make a big deal about it, just shows up when needed.

Through my blogs and my music, I try to share a little piece of myself with the world. If it helps someone else feel less alone, more seen, or just a little bit better, then that’s more than enough for me.

10. Go Offline Every Now and Then

Taking a break from technology has become an essential part of how I try to stay sane. I do my best to take regular tech detoxes and rediscover what it means to be a functioning human being again, without screens, without scrolling, without constant stimulation.

Those breaks remind me that there’s more to life than what’s happening online. And honestly, it’s during those quiet, disconnected times that I feel most alive.

I don’t have it all figured out. None of us do. But these small, consistent choices help me find some kind of balance in a world that often feels off-kilter.

Sanity, I think, is less about control and more about returning, to what matters, to what’s real, and to who you really are underneath it all.

If you’re feeling like the world’s gone mad… you’re not wrong. But you’re also not powerless. You can still choose how you move through it. I hope something in this post helps you find your footing again.

Please take care of yourself. You matter more than you think.

Peace

Corey 🙂

Life

Hustle Culture Is Bullshit

Posted on by Corey Stewart

Somewhere along the line, working yourself into the ground has become a badge of honour.

Since when did we begin to wear exhaustion like some sort of trophy around our necks?

Since when did we confuse movement with meaning, productivity with purpose, and busyness with success?

It seems that we’ve all fallen under the spell of hustle culture, that relentless pursuit of doing more, faster, longer, louder. And let me say it clearly, for the people up the back:

Hustle culture is bullshit.

This post isn’t about being lazy. It’s about being awake. It’s about calling out the toxic myth that you need to be hustling every waking hour to be worthy of your dreams.

It’s a rebellion against the glorification of burnout.

Here’s why I’m no longer buying into the hype and maybe, why you shouldn’t either.

1. You Are Not Your Output

Somewhere between the calendars and the KPIs, we forgot a crucial truth:

Your value isn’t tied to how much you produce.

Hustle culture reduces life to a spreadsheet, every moment is a transaction, every activity an obligation. If you’re not building, selling, scaling or stacking… you’re falling behind, right?

Wrong.

You’re allowed to just be. To breathe. To sit in stillness and know that you are enough without constantly proving it.

2. Burnout Is Not a Badge of Honour

We need to stop romanticising burnout. I can tell you, I’ve been there many, many times and there’s nothing romantic about burning out

Sleep-deprivation isn’t sexy. Missing milestones with your kids and/or loved ones isn’t noble. Feeling chronically anxious, foggy, or emotionally numb doesn’t mean you’re “committed.” It means you’re breaking.

Yet hustle culture tells us to sacrifice health, relationships, and even identity in the name of ambition. That’s not success, that’s self-abandonment.

3. Not Everyone Starts From the Same Line

One of the most harmful lies hustle culture tells is that “we all have the same 24 hours.”

As if systemic inequality, neurodivergence, trauma, caregiving, or mental health aren’t real barriers.

This mindset creates shame around rest, struggle, and difference. It turns personal limitations into perceived laziness. It ignores the human story behind the grind.

Life is not a level playing field—and pretending otherwise only reinforces privilege, not empowerment.

4. Creativity Needs Space, Not Speed

As a songwriter, musician, producer and blogger, I’ve learned this the hard way:

You can’t force inspiration on a deadline and expect it to sing.

Creativity breathes in the cracks between moments. It appears in quiet coffees, slow walks, still mornings, and deep presence.

Hustle squeezes those cracks shut. It makes you chase algorithms instead of art.

The truth? Depth doesn’t come from speed. It comes from stillness.

5. Rest Isn’t Lazy—It’s Revolutionary

Taking a break shouldn’t feel like rebellion, but in hustle culture, it does.

Choosing rest, silence, boundaries, or slowness becomes a radical act.

But that’s exactly what we need more of: radical rest. Rest that heals. That reconnects us with our purpose. That lets us live, not just survive.

We’re not meant to be in permanent productivity mode. Nature doesn’t bloom year-round. Why should we?

6. It’s a System Designed to Keep You Chasing

Hustle culture is the apple in capitalism’s eye, it profits when you never feel like you’ve done enough.

It disguises systemic exploitation as “entrepreneurial spirit.” You become both boss and employee, taskmaster and labourer. Always building, never arriving.

But here’s a liberating truth: You don’t have to earn rest, joy, love, or your place in the world.

You already belong. You are already enough.

7. The Real Flex? A Life On Your Terms

Imagine measuring success not by hustle, but by harmony.

By the quality of your relationships. The time you spend doing things that light you up. The peace you feel when you wake up, not the number of unread emails or “crushing it” LinkedIn updates.

What if presence became your status symbol?

My Final Thoughts: Choosing the Unhustled Life

Look, I’m not saying don’t work hard. I try to work hard every day on the things I care about. But I do it with intention. With rhythm and with rest built in.

I do this because I’ve learned that hustling harder doesn’t necessarily mean living better and it’s only taken most of my working life to fully realise this.

So let’s stop pretending that burnout is success. Let’s stop worshipping busy. Let’s stop trading life for likes, money, metrics or milestones.

The hustle is not the goal. The life is.

So what do you think? Have you felt the pressure of hustle culture? Let me know, I’d love to hear how you’re reclaiming your time and creativity.

Peace,

Corey 🙂

Life

Doing Nothing Is Doing Something

Posted on by Corey Stewart

There’s a phrase that’s been orbiting my mind lately, and the more I sit with it, the more truth I find in its simplicity:

“Doing nothing is doing something.”

Now, that might sound counter-intuitive (maybe even a bit self indulgent) especially in a world that demands we stay busy, produce relentlessly, and measure our worth by how much we’ve done in a day. But let’s go deeper.

The Cultural Curse of Constant Doing

We live in a culture that treats stillness like a sin and rest like a reward you have to earn. If we’re not checking boxes or pushing forward, we’re “falling behind.” We’re told to hustle, grind, rise and grind again, and never waste a second.

But here’s the truth: Not every moment needs to be maximized.

Sometimes the most important work we can do is nothing at all.

No goals. No agenda. Just being.

Stillness Isn’t Stagnation

In Zen philosophy, there’s a concept called Wu Wei, often translated as “non-doing” or “effortless action.” It’s not about laziness. It’s about alignment. It’s the art of allowing, of flowing with life rather than fighting it.

When we step back and do nothing, we give life the chance to unfold without our constant interference. We stop trying to control every outcome and let clarity rise from the silence. It’s not passivity, it’s presence.

The Brain on Nothing

Science backs this up. When we’re not actively working or focusing, our brains switch into something called the default mode network. That’s where the magic happens — ideas incubate, patterns emerge, memories consolidate, and creativity stirs.

That’s why your best ideas often arrive in the shower, or when you’re staring out a window, or while taking a quiet walk. You weren’t working on the idea, but something deeper in you was.

Doing nothing isn’t a break from creativity. It’s the soil that creativity grows in.

As a Songwriter, I Know This All Too Well

Some of my best lyrics haven’t come from sitting at a desk, pen in hand, grinding out lines of words strung together to create some semblance of a verse or chorus. They’ve come from a late-night drive, a quiet moment with a cup of coffee, or just lying on the floor listening to the ceiling fan spin its quiet spell.

That silence? It’s not empty. It’s pregnant with possibility.

Creativity isn’t always about striking the hammer — it’s also about letting the metal cool. Letting the noise fade so the melody can whisper its way into your consciousness.

The Fear of the Void

Let’s be honest: doing nothing can feel uncomfortable.

It exposes us to ourselves. It strips away the distractions and asks us to face what’s there in the silence. But that’s where the good stuff lives. That’s where the insights bloom and the inner compass resets.

Doing nothing takes courage.

It’s an act of rebellion against a culture that confuses busyness with value. It’s saying:

“I don’t need to chase every moment.
I trust that rest has value.
I know that space is sacred.”

How to Do Nothing (Intentionally)

If you want to give this a go, here are a few gentle invitations:

  • Schedule time to be unscheduled. Let at least part of your day be aimless.
  • Stare out a window. Watch clouds or trees move — no agenda.
  • Go screen-free. Disconnect from the algorithm and reconnect with your breath.
  • Nap or lie down. Do it without guilt. Let your body speak.
  • Sit in stillness. Not to achieve anything — just to feel what it’s like to be here.

So yes… doing nothing is doing something.

It’s restoration. It’s integration. It’s a kind of spiritual defiance in a world that confuses productivity with purpose.

Let this be your reminder:

You don’t always need to be moving to be moving forward because sometimes, just sometimes, the most profound progress happens in silence.

Peace,

Corey 🙂

Life

Authenticity Is the New Buzzword in Town – But What Does It Really Mean?

Posted on by Corey Stewart

You’ve probably noticed it too, everywhere you look these days, people are talking about authenticity. It’s the new buzzword being thrown around in music circles, branding meetings, marketing webinars, and content creation workshops. But like any term that gets overused.

I think it’s important to take a step back and unpack what authenticity actually is, why it matters now more than ever, and how we can truly live it, not just talk about it.

Why Is Authenticity Having a Moment?

We’re living in a world completely saturated with curated content, algorithm-driven trends, and carefully edited personas. Everything we consume has been polished and filtered to the point where it can feel hard to tell what’s real anymore. And when that happens, people naturally start looking for the opposite. They want something that feels raw. Human. Honest.

That’s where authenticity steps in. It’s not just another marketing trend—it’s the antidote to artificiality.

Add to that the growing distrust in brands, social platforms, and even influencers who once seemed untouchable, and you’ve got a cultural climate where being real is not only refreshing… it’s essential.

What Does Authenticity Actually Mean?

So what does being authentic actually look like? For me, it comes down to a few key things:

  • Saying what you mean and meaning what you say.
  • Being open about the flaws, the failures, the not-so-polished bits of your story.
  • Staying aligned with your values even when it’s hard.
  • Having a unique voice and not copying the crowd just to stay relevant.

Authenticity isn’t about trying to appear real. That defeats the purpose. It’s about actually being real and staying that way, consistently.

How Authenticity Shapes My Music and Creativity

In my world as a songwriter, musician, and blogger, authenticity is everything. Audiences can smell it when you’re faking it. They know when you’re chasing trends instead of telling your truth. But when the music comes from an honest place, when the lyrics are lived-in and the performance comes from deep within, people connect. You don’t need gimmicks or formulas when you’re creating from a place of honesty.

Think about artists like Johnny Cash, Kurt Cobain, Billie Eilish, or Noah Kahan. They don’t connect with people because they’re perfect. They connect because they’re real. Their stories, their pain, their perspectives, it all feels human, raw, and relatable.

Why Brands and Businesses Need to Get Real Too

And this doesn’t just apply to music. If you’re running a business, building a brand, or trying to make an impact online, authenticity matters just as much.

People don’t want to be sold to, they want to feel something.

They want to know who you are, what you stand for, and whether you walk your talk. Brands that are transparent, human, and value-driven tend to build deeper, more lasting relationships with their audience. They’re not focused on the quick sale; they’re building trust.

The Rise of Authenticity in Social Media and Content Creation

The same thing goes for social media and content creation. The days of perfectly curated feeds and flawless influencer aesthetics are slowly giving way to a more honest, unfiltered vibe. People are gravitating toward creators who let them see the mess, the behind-the-scenes, the real-life ups and downs.

But here’s the tricky part: because authenticity has become such a valuable currency, some people try to manufacture it. That’s where things can get murky. The carefully curated “imperfections,” the staged vulnerability, the influencer crying into the camera between sponsored posts… it can all start to feel performative if it’s not coming from a genuine place.

Authenticity Isn’t a Strategy—It’s a Way of Life

The line between being authentically vulnerable and using vulnerability as a strategy is razor thin—and let’s face it, most people can tell the difference.

In the end, authenticity isn’t a strategy. It’s a way of being. You don’t dip into it for a post or two—you live it. You show up, you share your truth, and you do it consistently. Over time, that builds something far more powerful than a viral moment: it builds trust, connection, and longevity.

Being Real Takes Courage

And yeah, being authentic can be scary. It means being seen. Really seen. It means risking judgment and letting go of the idea that we always need to look like we’ve got it all together. But that’s also where the magic happens.

To quote Brené Brown—because she nails this concept beautifully:

“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”

That’s what I’m choosing, both in my music and in how I show up online. Because I’ve found that when I lean into who I really am—flaws, quirks, and all—that’s when the right people connect, the right doors open, and the work feels most meaningful.

And in a world that’s craving something real… being yourself might just be the most powerful move you can make.

Life

The Best Time to Start Living Your Life Is Right Now

Posted on by Corey Stewart

This simple phrase has been bouncing around in my head for a while now: “The best time to start living your life is right now.” At first glance, it sounds like something you’d see on a motivational poster or an Instagram caption, but the more I sit with it, the more I realise how deeply true and powerful it really is.

We’re all guilty of playing the “someday” game (I know I am).

  • Someday I’ll travel.
  • Someday I’ll chase that dream.
  • Someday I’ll slow down and enjoy the moment.

But the truth is, “someday” is a moving target. It’s a concept that keeps us comfortably stuck in the status quo, always just out of reach. And if we’re not careful, it becomes the default setting for our lives.

The thing is, life doesn’t wait. It’s happening right now—not in the past, not in some imagined future, but in this very moment. And I’ve come to realise that if I’m not actively choosing to live it now, I’m simply existing on autopilot.

Living my life right now doesn’t mean throwing caution to the wind or abandoning my responsibilities. It means being present. It means making intentional choices, leaning into what truly matters, and taking small steps every day that align with the kind of life I want to build.

It’s about not living my life like I’m on auto-pilot.

I’ve noticed that the hardest part is always the beginning. That first step. Starting something new, making a change, speaking a truth, it all takes courage. But momentum is a powerful thing. Once I start moving, even in the smallest of ways, things begin to shift.

The biggest regrets don’t usually come from things we’ve done—they come from the things we didn’t do. The words left unsaid. The dreams never pursued. The life not fully lived.

I read once about a palliative care nurse who asked her patients what they regretted most near the end of their lives. The most common answer was this: “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.” That hit me like a ton of bricks.

So, I’ve started asking myself: Am I living in a way that’s true to who I am? Not in some grand, perfect, Instagram-worthy way, but in the daily stuff. The little choices. The quiet moments. Am I choosing authenticity? Am I making time for the people and the things that matter most?

For me, living my life now means writing music that matters to me. Spending time with people I love. Being okay with not having all the answers. Creating, sharing, risking, failing, learning, and growing.

It also means simplifying. Cutting away the noise. Saying no to what drains me and yes to what fills me up, even if it’s uncomfortable.

If there’s one thing I’d say to anyone reading this, it’s this: You don’t need a perfect plan. You don’t need permission. You don’t need to wait until you’re ready. The best time to start living your life is right now. This moment is enough.

Because one day, we’ll all look back. And I’d rather say, “I gave it everything I had” than “I wish I had.”

Let’s live our lives, truly live them, starting from right now.

Peace,

Corey 🙂

Life

A Lot Can Happen In 12 Months

Posted on by Corey Stewart

I have been living in Yankalilla for over 12 months now and in that time a lot of things have happened, some things have been good and some haven’t but all in all, my quest for living a slower, steadier, simpler and more silent life down in the Fleurieu has been a successful one so far.

I’ve managed to continue running my web design/online marketing business ZenWeb Systems from home as well as diving head first into the world of live performance again but this time taking advantage of the plethora of gigs that are available down this way.

I’m also building SongMachine, a commercially viable recording studio out the back of my house. This is about 70% done and with every day that passes my excitement for this new phase of my music career grows.

In addition to all of this, I haven’t watched the news/commercial TV since I got here and my life has been less stressful because of it. 

My motto is… If there is news that I need to know, I’ll know about it via social media and friends. If there’s news that has nothing to do with me then I don’t need to know.

Even though I had always considered myself a “city-slicker” I really don’t miss Adelaide at all and look for opportunities to NOT go over the hill into town. 

I’ve noticed of late that as I drive into the city I can feel the collective stress of Adelaide begin to course through me but when I leave I can feel that collective stress disappear as I pass Sellicks Beach and head towards the hills for home.

There was a huge speed bump in my progress though as halfway through 2023 I felt the effects of intense loneliness and depression which was a result of finally being able to come to terms with my grief and breaking through the fear of what a post-Mara life would look like for myself. 

Right now, I am now in the best place I can be

Another part of that speed bump is that my health needs to get back on track again. I have let things go a bit as I have attempted to just allow things to happen in the pursuit of slowing down my life and letting things “be” for the time being.

No health goals, no exercise, just aimlessly floating. This needs to change.

The end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024 was also difficult because of the bookmarks that I needed to get through such as Mara’s birthday, anniversary of her passing and our wedding anniversary just to name a few. Christmas is never fun as well.

From going through those bookmarks I was surprised that even though it was a very hard experience to bear, I am having a better relationship with my emerging post-Mara life.

I am now feeling more “awake” to what is happening after everything that I have been through and I feel that 2024 is the year for me to start getting my life back in order again after allowing myself to aimlessly float in a holding pattern for a while. I am ready to really come back to the land of the living.

Just to recap, I have so much to look forward to…

  • I am happy where I am at
  • The gigs are building up
  • I am gainfully and autonomously employed
  • The recording studio (SongMachine) dream is almost a reality

This excites me.

I have a long way to go in attaining the slow, steady, simple and silent life I want but I’m glad to say that I am a long way down the path then where I was 12 months ago.

Peace,

Corey 🙂

Life

Life… We’re All Just Making It Up As We Go Along

Posted on by Corey Stewart

You know, as I get on with the day to day business that is my life, I’m realising more and more that for most of the time we are all making up our lives as we go along which to a recovering control freak like myself, comes as a great relief.

Yes, that’s right, a recovering control freak.

Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I love to be in control, even though that I knew intellectually that the notion of control is but only an illusion.

Feeling in control has made me feel safe and secure with the world around me and the upside of this feeling is that I consider myself a very organised and punctual person.

The downside to always wanting to be in control is that I would almost always get highly stressed out when situations don’t go according to the pre-determined plan that I have in my own head.

I’d get so stressed it would at times paralyse me.

I really loathe this feeling of being out of control but I didn’t really know how I could rectify this, a pattern that has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.

The realisation that we’re all making our lives up as we go along eliminates the need for me to compare my life with the life of others around me and therefore disengage myself from this need to be in control all the time.

Yes, I know that some people have their lives together more than others and I also know that we’re all unique in our own abilities, our history and the way we look at the world around us, but deep down we all want the same things, such as love, respect, validation, acknowledgement, recognition and happiness

When I look at life in this way I realise deep down we are all in the same boat.

Right now I’m working on creating some sort of balance between my need to have everything in my life catalogued and in its place and at the same time, being totally spontaneous.

Quite a challenge when it think about it but not an impossible thing for me to achieve.

I reckon there’s a song in this…

Peace,

Corey 🙂

Life

How To Slow Down: 97 Ways To Enjoy Your Life This Year

Posted on by Corey Stewart

In the article “How To Slow Down: 97 Ways To Enjoy Your Life This Year” the focus is on the importance of slowing down in life, especially at the start of a new year.

The author of the article Courtney Carver emphasizes that instead of succumbing to the pressure of becoming a ‘new you’, it’s more fulfilling to enjoy life as it is. As she states…

“The good news is that we can reject all of the New Year, New You messages and decide to slow down instead. I’d rather be the same me and enjoy my life than waste time trying to fix something that is not broken.”

She also shares her personal journey of living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and how slowing down has been crucial for her well-being.

The article is structured around seven categories: body, surroundings, doing less, digital, mind, slow things, and simplicity, offering practical tips within each category to help readers slow down and be more present in their lives.

Personal Reflections on Slowing Down

In a number of posts I’ve said that one of my main goals is to live a “slow, steady, simple and silent” life. Through trying to achieve this goal I’ve realized that slowing down is directly connected to how one enjoys life.

Each time I take a deep breath or engage in an activity that helps me slow down, I become more present and this presence allows me to notice and appreciate my life more deeply.

The article’s insights resonate with me, especially the idea that consistency is more important than intensity. In my journey, going slowly has indeed taken me further than rushing.

Practical Tips for Slowing Down

  1. With Your Body: Simple actions like feeling your tongue on the roof of your mouth or squeezing and releasing your fists can help ground you in the present moment.
  2. In Your Surroundings: Creating a slow atmosphere, like lighting a candle or tidying up, can soothe your nervous system and encourage a sense of calm.
  3. By Doing Less: Saying ‘no’ more often and under-scheduling your week can create space for what truly matters.
  4. Digitally: Reducing phone usage and taking digital breaks can lead to more time spent in real-life experiences.
  5. Through Your Mind: Embracing microjoys and releasing the need for external validation can significantly slow down your mental pace.
  6. Using Simplicity: Decluttering and simplifying your environment can create a more peaceful and less hurried lifestyle.
  7. By Doing Slow Things: Engaging in activities like cooking slowly, stargazing, or journaling can help you embrace a slower pace of life.

The article concludes with a powerful message: the fast-paced, ‘more, more, more’ approach isn’t always the answer. Sometimes, embracing a slower, steadier, and gentler way of living can bring more joy and fulfilment.

This resonates with me deeply, as I believe in the power of being present and enjoying the simple, everyday moments of life.

Source: How To Slow Down: 97 Ways To Enjoy Your Life This Year – Be More with Less