Do you find yourself feeling guilty or ashamed for not doing enough? Are you anxious because you have not checked enough off your to-do-list? Do you start to review your manic day of activities before you even get out of bed in the morning?
If any of these thoughts are common for you then you are heading towards burn out and you most likely do not live in Spain.
It is time to start rethinking your approach to your day-to-day so you can go the distance and not face the burden of living a life unfulfilled. Slow Living Sustainable Tips from Spain can provide you with some easy-to-take first steps on regaining the control of your life in a way like never before. Spain has an approach to living that is worthy of consideration and can really show you the path forward.
The biggest regret is not having done more for yourself. Start being selfish now. Slow the heck down.
Your To-Do List is Not Worth It
Internalised capitalism and its vision that your self-worth is linked to productivity is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. This obsession with busy-ness is the number one cause for burn out, anxiety and depression today. Whether you are struggling to get it all done at your job or at home, you are still heading down a path of denial which can’t be sustained without causing harm to yourself and all those you love.
Losing sight of the big picture is the most dangerous aspects of the speed in which you are racing through your life. It is hard to see stuff when you are racing around like a chicken with your head cut off.
The cost of a thing is the amount of life which is required to be exchange for it. ~ Thoreau
Break the Habit of Busy
If you don’t slow down you will not be able to see the important things in your life. You will not truly grasp the mini miracles that surround you ever day like the sun dancing on the pool of rainwater, or the phone call from your best friend sharing her important news. You most definitely will not be going in the best direction to fulfil your life passions like taking time to research how to write a book, to start playing guitar again.
When I realised I was addicted to being busy and living my best version of me, I knew I needed to change something before I broke. I moved to the one place I believed still had a holistic lifestyle; Spain. Nothing is perfect but placing myself in an environment that is more closely aligned with my own values was key for me to start slowing down, and to break my own addiction to busy-ness. It was a huge transition from the hectic lifestyle in New York City to a small, northern Spanish town of San Sebastián but worth every challenging step.
Life lessons were, and still are, in abundance.
Start small, with one habit a day and you too will be able to break your addiction to being busy. Once you see the truth of how bad that addiction is to you and yours, it is hard to put it back into the box again.
Slow Living can include sipping your coffee instead of taking it always to go!
Slow Living Is Just Smart
Slowing down has more benefits than you know. It allows you to start to think more clearly. Many of my clients in the USA complain of the inability to know themselves because they are so busy living.
If you do not know who you are, or what you want, then are you really living the best version of your life?
Slowing down allows you to get in touch with yourself. It allows you to be present with those you love. It allows you to see the small but immeasurably beautiful things that are in your world. It allows you to witness the miracles that happen ever day. It also allows you to distinguish between truth and fiction a little bit easier which in today’s world of mixed messages in the media, this is a very wise move.
The ONE THING is a great book about breaking the myth of multi-tasking and gives you permission to just get your life back on track by doing just one thing really well. This is key to slow living and this gem of a book helps you to see more clearly how to do this and why you should do this now.
Spain’s Sustainable Approach to Life
Moving to Spain was a result of my own burn-out. I had raced through my life and due to a tragic wake-up call, I was able to see through the fog of busy-ness and decided that I needed to slow way the heck down.
Of course, nothing is ever perfect. Unfortunately the madness of following the capitalist lifestyle approach is happening almost everywhere, though thankfully some places are slower to adapt than others. Spain is one of the most holistic living countries I know and luckily is a little slower to adapt to the fast-track modern approach to living.
You do not need to move to Spain to slow down your life and start living a more sustainably happier, healthier life. You can make wherever you are work for you. Making some small changes in your daily life to break the badge of busy-ness and start to experience your life more fully is easy once you get started. The roadmap on how to start is below.
In Spain slow living is part of their culture and sharing meals is a regular thing!
Slow Living Sustainable Tips From Spain
These tips come from that experience of a New Yorker moving to Spain, learning how to see the world differently and the radical experience of slowing down. If I can do it, so can you. Though I suggest that you be gentle with yourself during the process. I am still learning and though you can take the chica outta New York, it is tougher to get New York outta the chica. My authentic self still has a higher speed than most of those around me. All I suggest is one small step in the right direction, regularly, to find yourself transforming your high-speed life for the slow living sustainable one you crave.
Check out the ideas I learned in Spain on how to slow down and live more sustainably.
Take a Seat
Park benches are everywhere in Spain and they are used. People really just go to them to sit and ponder life. Just go sit and be. This can be on a park bench, but it also can be in your home looking out a window to watch the world for a few minutes.
Just take a few moments to take a seat and simply be with yourself everyday. You can cheat and do this on your way to somewhere, but I highly suggest to go to a bench for the sole purpose of just sitting on it. Learn to be with yourself.
Sip Your coffee
They have cafes on every corner in Spain. Everyone takes a coffee (or tea) at the cafe during the day, before work, during work, after work. Just for the moment of connection and community. Sipping instead of getting the take away and running to their next appointment.
You can decide to enjoy one cup-o-joe while sitting down and people watching instead of racing around. Maybe not everyday this is possible, but make a date with yourself for once a week to start. You will start to see connections when you actually slow down to witness them.
Know Your Shop
People here often go to the same places and know the shop owners. This is starting to shift and this breaks my heart. The small shops are what often gives a city it’s soul. Unless we all want to live in a monochromatic world where only big-box shops and Starbucks exist, we all need to support the small shops.Community and connection is essential to our wellbeing and the big-box supermarkets do not provide any sense of this.
Look for a local shop that you can start to support and make the effort to shop there. Get to know the owner, or staff and make it personal. If not everyday, then at least once a week. Slowing down enough to do this will help to turn the tide of all online, fast-food, chain stores taking over. Support your local Mom-n-Pop shops.
Turn It Off
Often when I look out of my window, I see no lights on in the buildings around me. When I first moved here, it was so unnatural to me and when I questioned this, the reply was a question to me; why would anyone leave lights on unless they were using them, were not home or did not need it? That simple question perfectly demonstrated my entitlement and highlighted my need to become more aware.
You can start to become more consciously aware today too. When you are not using something, turn it off. Energy needs to be made in order to be consumed. If you use less, then there is less need to make it. It is a positive cycle of slowing down and using less that can be a very powerful force to help the planet. In one month, I suggest you also check your energy bill and you will be super pleased to see how easy it is to save your hard earned cash by just turning stuff off when you are not using it.
Enough Is Enough
In Spain they do not have the mad passion to have the latest and greatest of everything to the same level of other modern countries. They like nice stuff, don’t get me wrong. They just don’t feel compelled to have so much. This is reflected in the size of the closets in their homes here too. And though I sometimes wish for larger closets, mostly I embrace that enough is enough. Plus I have created a Eco-Exchange Ritual my friends adore!
Next time you are thinking you need to purchase something new, try to pause and rethink – do you really need that thing? Can you find something else to reuse for that purpose or can you go to a flea market and get something gently used instead? Slow Living is also about slow fashion which has gained in popularity and acknowledgement. Embrace this concept and see if you can start to curb your own shopping habits.
Slow Sustainable Living Tips includes finding flea markets and reusing your stuff in new ways.
Hang It Out
They hang their clothes to dry outside in Spain. They simply do not have electric dryers. Historically it was due to finances, but also due to limited space. Today this is still the norm for most people. They have found creative solutions to deal with rain, coordinate with the weather, or hang their clothes inside on rainy days. This practice is good both for saving electricity, but also your clothes last much, much longer!
Though the use of the electric clothing dryers is not going away anytime soon in other countries, I invite you to think of avoiding drying your delicates and favourite clothes and letting them air dry. This will make them last longer, the colour fade less and of course save you some money in the electricity bill. Lacking space? You can hang clothes to dry inside too with some creativity such as a modern version of the old Victorian pulley systems.
Walk Outside
The people in Spain all love to walk. Even those that have cars and need to drive to/from work, they will always prefer to walk when possible. The social life is centred around pinxto tours (which is like bar-hopping but by foot!). Plus, you can see the result of a walking lifestyle most clearly with the elderly people too since they are more active and independent for much longer here than in the States. Though this is starting to shift a little bit more in Europe sadly, the car-addiction is contagious, it is still a walking culture for now!
Make a decision to walk. Start small with a 20-minute walk once a week and build from there. Instead of taking the car you can go to the shop down the road, or if you are in the suburbs, then you can walk around the block. Or find a nature trail in a nearby park. Getting outside and moving your legs will be a great practice for slowing down and reconnecting with yourself. Or bring someone with you for some quality time! Your future body will thank you.
Own Your Own Trash
Since many of the buildings here are older they often have the trash, recycling and compost containers on the streets outside the buildings so everyone is responsible for brining their own trash outside. This forces you to take notice of how much waste you create. In our modern worlds with all of our trash being taken care of for us, we have lost touch with how much we each create. The result is we do not have any ownership for it and less likely to want to reduce it. This needs to change, and Spain is a good example. People have to manage their own waste, so it is in their best interest to reduce it. It is a win-win scenario.
If you do not already have one, create a recycling centre where you can see exactly how much waste you create. As an experiment, make a commitment to take notice and see what each of your family members creates. Then with this knowledge you can start to make a creative plan on how to reduce the waste in your home.
Slow Sustainable Living Tips from Spain: Do you care enough to change your fast habits? For yourself and for the planet?
Start To Compost
Right next to the recycling and garbage bins are composting bins everywhere here in Spain. This is the norm here. Everyone does it and the local community uses it as fertilizer for the landscaping they do throughout the cities. The amount of waste caused from a vegetable is shocking once you start to pay attention to it. Since these scraps can be turned into something healthy – but only when composted, is some motivation to do this.
Once you learn that sending vegetable waste to landfill is toxic, then you may consider getting yourself your own composter. Here are the top 5 rated countertop composters in the USA in 2022. Get yours today and start turning your food scraps into something health for the planet! Once composted, you can use it in your own garden or house plants. Live in a city? Find your local farmers market where they will embrace your compost as a gift!
Just Wrap Up
In Spain, it is normal to just add a second layer to warm up. They do not automatically turn up the thermostat since the cost of heat here is more expensive than in other places and they are more economically aware of costs savings. However, this impact also allows the body to adjust to the seasons accordingly which improves the ability to manage the seasonal changes more easily. The result is being able to manage colder temperatures (or warmer ones) with less strain on our systems. Plus they really embrace the seasons here instead of ignoring them bringing them closer to the natural rhythms of the planet.
Now as we start to move towards warmer seasons, this suggestion is going to be to take it off. Wearing more (or less) clothing for the climate as your first go-to instead of automatically turning up the heat or air conditioning. Try to do this for one week and see how your body adjusts. Obviously do not put yourself at risk as the extreme temperatures can harm you but pushing the boundaries for what is acceptable is a good idea since we seem to be limiting our capacities instead of maximising them. Awareness is the first step.
Cook Everyday
San Sebastián is a city famous for delicious food. With this theme, you wouldn’t be surprised to learn that everyone here prides themselves on cooking. There is a deep sense of satisfaction with the skill of preparing a delicious meal. People here love to cook – for themselves, for each other and just in general. It is a healthy connection to the earth and a way they demonstrate their love. This felt natural to me since my family also showed their love through cooking so this city’s foodie culture was a perfect fit for me.
Starting to cook more would be a good first step. Avoiding pre-made, or processed foods and just taking some time to cook for yourself and those you love. Don’t feel you have time? Cooking quickly and easily is possible with recipes from the likes of Jamie Oliver’s famous One Pot cookbook is a perfect example. Slowing down to make a plan is the key and once you have the ingredients in your pantry, it is very simple to build the practice of cooking every day. Trust me, I am living proof of this possibility!
Use It All
No one wastes stuff here. More than once I have been offered food leftovers from friends who have cooked too much and they did not want to waste it. No one is picky here, and everyone enjoys the sharing of food together so left overs are not considered a negative thing but a very positive one. This attitude is in stark contrast to my past; I recall a client of mine throwing away half of the contents of her refrigerator every single week when her new Fresh Direct order arrived because she just did not have the time to use it all up. That level of waste does not exist here as far as I can see. People buy what they need, and use it all up, then go get more.
Stop buying more than you need and throwing waste away. Becoming creative with your left overs and making dishes from the ingredients you have is an art you can learn. One major problem, as with my client above, was the size of the refrigerator where food gets lost. Out of sight, out of mind. A solution is to go for smaller appliances but if you already have a big refrigerator here are tips on how to organise it so you do not waste so much food.
Time for Play
Everyone here is part of the overall social life that is part of the culture. You socialise with friends, colleagues, family and you also make some time for yourself. Almost everyone I know here has some sort of personal hobby that they are working on. It can be horse back riding, pilates, macrame, or learning how to make greeting cards. Rethinking how you use your time and building in something that is just for yourself is often considered selfish and not part of the pride of being busy (can you wear the busy-ness badge if you were busy reading a book??)
I suggest you rediscover something that you like to do and start to build it into your schedule. This can be reading books again, starting to take an online painting class, joining the local Yoga studio, organising a walking group, or just listening to music. It is your thing so no one is to judge you. Be selfish here. Your inner child will thank you for it.
Walking by the sea is Lee’s time for play – her thing for slowing down, living more sustainably and making time for herself.
Curate Your Life
Be the curator of your life. Slowly cut things out until you’re left only with what you love, with what’s necessary, with what makes you happy. Slowing down is not giving up, it is embracing much more in each moment. The joys you can experience when you adapt this pace are much richer than you can imagine. Be the curator of your life
Do not be fooled into thinking it will be all sunshine and roses. You will get pulled back onto the bandwagon of being busy is good once in awhile. I know that I do, even after living a slower life in Spain for nearly eight years. These lessons for slow sustainable living tips from Spain came with some challenges. Sometimes I feel that I am a fraud and missed something. But eventually, when I am walking along the seaside, listening to the sound of kids playing, seagulls drifting by and the waves of the water, I remember that this is what is real. This life is your one shot to connect with yourself, and slowing down the smell the flowers will be the thing you remember and cherish in the years to come.
Slow Living includes taking time to smell the flowers
Ask for Help
Sometimes the answer to slowing down comes with the asking for help.
If your dream is to create your ideal home this year, we can help! Design-It-With-You is the perfect combination of you being in control, but having all the hard work taken off your shoulders. Check out our packages here or book a free 20-minute discovery call with Lee.
You don’t need to do it alone! We’ve got your back.
