Slow living (and slow-adjacent) resources

“Slow living” is an incredibly broad topic that can encompass so much. You may have heard of slow travel, slow parenting, slow fashion and slow food, but what about slow productivity? Slow craft? Slow communities? Creativity, work, self-care, art, gardening, movement, mindfulness, nature, writing, farming, activism… these can all be slow too.

If you’ve been exploring slow for a while, you probably already know what parts of it apply and appeal to you. Below you’ll find an ever-evolving list of links and resources designed to cover the breadth of what slow can be. Dig in and see if you can discover a new voice or a completely fresh perspective.

If, however, you’re new to the idea of slow living and find yourself feeling simultaneously excited and overwhelmed by all the different ways we can (and, if you listen to some people, should) be doing slow living, can I suggest you give yourself a few minutes to think about why you want to slow down?

Is it because you’re burnt out? Your priorities have changed and you need to find space for the things that matter? You want to focus on your mental health? You want to find non-tech ways to relax? You’ve had a health crisis? You’re entirely fed up with the capitalist machine and want to push back against the status quo?

Whatever the reason (and they’re all good reasons) it might help to ask yourself:

• What do I stand to gain by slowing down?

• What is it about this idea that appeals to me?

• When I picture a slower life, how does it feel?

Then, once you have even the vaguest idea of why you’re here, take a look at the list of Substacks, websites, blogs, books and resources below, and follow your curiosity. The slow living community is warm and kind and I can almost guarantee you’ll find someone who writes to your heart.

I’ve tried to loosely categorise these (and it’s very much a work-in-progress) but as I mentioned, slow can mean so many different things, so follow your instinct and see what you discover:

On creativity

• Optional Optimism by Jacki Carr - Read: When feeling lost, look around and pay attention

• Haver and Sparrow by Charlene Storey - Read: Shetland’s nature is magic and capturing it is my medicine

• A Life of Words by Sasha | Frank & Feel - Read: (S)low maintenance friendships

• This Naked Mama is Self-Editing by Blissom - Read: Start with your senses

• Take a moodle with me by Debs Stott - Read: A reframe for creativity

• Reflecting Light by Al Adlard - Read: Following my weird

• Kent’s Substack by Kent Peterson - Read: No need for speed

• Creatively Conscious by Claire Venus - Read: How I’m using social media and staying intentionally slow about it

• Chasing Words and Wonder by Christina Golian - Read: Our brains on music

• Salted by Luisa Skinner - Read: I refuse to feel rushed

• Entre Nous by Sara Tasker - Read: My future fictional French self

• Kindle Curiosity by Sarah Shotts - Read: It’s not procrastination. It’s a sensory reset.

On productivity

• Tending by Dr Kate Henry - Read: How to hack a productivity tool

• Study Hacks by Cal Newport - Read: Teenage Luddites

• Conversations I Have with Myself by Jen Carrington - Read: How I’m supporting my nervous system through my current launch

On going slowly

• Gratitude Journal by Alex Elle - Read: Stay True

• The Magically Mundane by Hunter Burgtorf - Read: The History of Slow Living

• The Haven by Gabrielle Treanor - Read: What’s fun?

• Ordinary Magic by Raine Sillito - Read: Deep rest (or what I learned from a week with the stomach flu)

• In Praise of Slow by Carl Honoré

• Slow Scottish Stories by Molly @ Hippy Highland Living - Read: What I love about being poor (the unexpected benefits of a frugal life)

• It Dawned Upon Her by Dawn Gibson-Winder - Read: It’s never too late to bloom

• Savour by Alice Vincent - Read: June

On home

• The Spiral Garden by Lauren and Oberon Carter - Read: Are you still waste-free?

• the lovely road by Mackenzie - Read: minimalism is not…

• Bramblings by Bex Massey - Read: On hygge and mindful baking

On nature

• The Nature of Things by Haley Hopkins - Read: The nature of wolves

• Cricklewood Nature Journalling by Susannah Fisher - Read: “I don’t have time/supplies/talent/nature to nature journal!”

• Black Girl Country Living Magazine by Hillarie Maddox - Read: Care is Essential

• A Quiet Moment by Whitney Barkman - Read: How can you live without trees?

On the world

• Beyond the Comfort Zone by Renée Eli - Read: Homage to the Buddha of Oakland

• SIN PRISA TRAVEL by Elise - Read: Finding solitude in Sweden

• The Clearing by Katherine May - Read: The air is full of information

On seasonal living

• Seasonal Living with Victoria Harrison - Read: Summer Solstice Celebrations

• 52 Seasons by Sommer Maxwell - Read: Growing Season

• A Life in Progress by Krista O'Reilly-Davi-Digui - Read: What is an Inner Winter Season?

• An Ode to Devotion by Laura Lewis - Read: Ripening

• Dark Moon Musings by Tricia D Walker - Read: Drop the facade and release the guilt

• Slow Notes with Rachelle Glendon - Read: Why health is no longer one of my values

On opting out

• Modern Bullshit by Jess Elefante - Read: QR codes outside my son’s school

• all-consuming by Sarah C Grace - Read: Efficiency sickness

• The Realists by Elena Rossini - Read: Three key habits to become a successful digital minimalist

• Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey

• The Unpublishable by Jessica DeFino - Read: The science of skincare isn’t science or care

• Simple and Calm by Sophie Ingleby - Read: What if the internet had opening hours?

On food

• A Sourdough Story by Chapin - Read: How to build a strong wholegrain sourdough starter

• Grow Gather and Feast by Hermione Blackshaw - Read: Miso brothy beans with broccoli and mashed potato

On self-exploration

• Rewild by Charlie Rewilding - Read: Resisting the urge to push through

• Human Stuff by Lisa Olivera - Read: The aim of timelessness

• Hi, friend by Cait Flanders - Read: What are you choosing to let go of?

• Blooming Sundays by Zoe Gardiner - Read: I don’t know what to do

• Losing Orbit by Cierra - Read: Ctrl + Y

• Words, As Fruit by Ẹniafẹ Isis Adewale - Read: I don’t have it all figured out

• Initiation Writes by Ryan Rose Weaver - Read: Mothers, Wounds and May Oliver’s Wisdom

• Soft. Simple. Still by Samantha Corrie - Read: Creating a softer life for myself

• With EASE by Tanya Lynch - Read: 800+ days consecutively

• The Simple Letter by Jessica Rose Williams - Read: Letting go of the outcome

• Notes on Living by Alicia Kaye - Read: The things we should be doing by now

On living well

• Slower Space by Jodie Melissa Rogers - Read: Allowing ourselves to take up space

• Creating Spirals by Nathalie Peña - Read: The waxing and waning of having a zest for life

• The Healthy Jew by Shmuel Chaim Naiman - Read: Let Go

• The Siddique Space by John Siddique - Read: The Path of No Path

• On Living Well by Carmella Rayone - Read: Simple Living | A getaway kit

• The Wisdom Path by Louise Hallam - Read: Your sensitivity is a superpower

• Well, Well by Alicia Mollaun - Read: On rest and why we should embrace wintering

• The Cynic’s Guide to Self-Improvement by Josh Drummond - Read: The Portable Ocean

• Slow Living in the Big City by Paula Hines - Read: Opening to optimism

• Yoga Culture by Dr Kathleen Waller - Read: The 8 limbs of yoga

On gardening

• Gardening with Casey Joy - Read: How to Marie Kondo your garden

• Milkwood by Kirsten Bradley and Nick Ritar - Read: 6 simple ways to start growing your own food while renting

• Lofi Life by Casey Lister - Read: The most difficult plants I’ve never grown

• Tiny Garden Stories by Jennifer Singleton - Read: The Thunderstorm

• The Garden Well Journal by Claire Gardner - Read: Comparison is the thief of joy

I’ll revisit this list from time to time, but if you have a recommendation for a resource that you think should be included, feel free to drop me a Note here on Substack.

In the meantime, thanks for being here, and take good care.
Brooke xx