A Simple Way to Slow Down Your Life That You Can Do Today
Or how to swap London/New York/LA pace for Old European pace
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I wasn’t aware of how slow I now walk until some friends from London came to visit me in Rome a few weeks ago.
I know they read this newsletter, so hi guys!
It was after a few hours of pounding the streets that I realized my husband and I were constantly falling behind our friends. This is weird, I thought - I don’t recall falling behind them back in London.
But that was when all of us walked at what I like to call London Pace.
My inside leg is 36 inches long, I’m nearly 6 feet tall. I can STRIDE. And back in the UK, I always did, rushing from one appointment to another, practically running down the street to keep up with my impossible task list.
My husband walks even faster than me. And yet even he wasn’t keeping up with our friends.
Since taking my life on the road, my walking has become sloth-like. I call it Old European Woman pace.
The more I think about my Old European Woman pace, the happier I am about it. Because as with most things in life, there is a lot of joy to be found in the slow. Slow living, slow productivity.
Slow walking is no exception.
***
In 2007, research found that people walk about 10% faster than 10 years ago. Interestingly, Singapore has the fastest walkers in the world whilst New York comes in at just 8th place (it surprised me too).
The fact that our walking has sped up should be no surprise to anyone. We’re busier than ever, our list of commitments is neverending and we’re pulled in every direction you can think of. And whilst I can’t find anything online to corroborate this, I would bet a lot of money that we’ve only gotten faster since the 2007 research was conducted as our time has been stretched ever thinner.
It’s like we think we can speed walk our way to the bottom of our to-do list.
Interestingly, walking fast has some health benefits. Fast walkers apparently live longer than those that take their time over their daily tasks. To a point, I understand that. The faster you are, the more exercise you’ll get and we all know that exercise is the elixir of life.
But - and it’s a big but - you could get your exercise in a different way and slow your walking down. Because the benefits of walking like a tortoise have some pretty kick-ass benefits too. Perhaps more than adding a year or two onto the end of your life.
For a start, walking slowly works wonders for your observation skills.
Back when I speed-walked my way around London I never noticed much. My husband used to joke that I’ve seen the back of hundreds of celebrities’ heads because I only noticed them when he pointed them out once they had passed us.
London is a gorgeous place filled with characterful people and yet the only thing I ever saw was the sidewalk. And the back of famous peoples’ heads.
It was only once I started to travel that I started to observe more. Not just the big stuff but small everyday interactions too.
It wasn’t just me - my husband started to notice things too. He even wrote a great article about tiny observations he once had on a solo walk:
An old man on a scooter cheerfully beeps as he passes a pedestrian, eliciting a small smile of recognition.
A small boat rocks in the clear water as a fisherman — cursing under his breath — struggles in vain to start its motor.
A young couple sat silently on a bench silently smile conspiratorially at each other as I pass, waiting to resume their conversation until I’m out of earshot.
Two workers talk solemnly whilst painting a bench a deep forest green color.
A man with bright red shoes stops running to take in the view and catch his breath.
A vlogger films a piece to camera in front of her campervan telling her viewers that she’s leaving for Serbia today.
He finishes his article with a rather insightful message:
I didn’t have any great revelations. But a simple mindful walk free of distractions and paying attention to the little human details around me lifted my mood and made me appreciate the beautiful privilege of my situation.
I remember this day. He took forever walking just a few kilometers. He slowed down. He observed. And he came back a different (happier) person just because of a slow meander around a coastal path.
***
It’s ironic that in our pursuit of a simple life, we can be guilty of overlooking the simplest of changes.
Slowing down our walking pace is something everyone can do. It’s not like downsizing a house or choosing a different way to live which can take months or even years to execute. It’s simply taking a few moments longer to get from A to B.
You could start today.
In fact, I suggest that you do. Leave the house five minutes earlier than usual. Give yourself permission to stop for a moment when something interesting catches your eye. Meander a little bit. Take a notebook and do what my husband did and write down some everyday observations.
See how it makes you feel. You might like it.
You probably will.
***
Swapping London Pace for Old European Woman pace has literally changed my perspective on life. I am FAR more chilled than I ever thought I could be. It’s also slowed down my thinking - less like a runaway train, more like a small child on a scooter. It’s made me a better writer. It’s worked wonders for my empathy - when before I may have passively aggressively tutted when someone “got in my way,” now I let them be. Sometimes I fall into pace behind them to slow my walking down even further.
My husband may have previously joked about my speed but now he jokes that I take so long he worries I got lost between the market and our apartment (sometimes I do, but mostly I’m just taking my sweet time).
We all have commitments and places we need to be. But with a little bit of work and effort, we can all slow down our walking, even if just a little.
Research may say those of us who work at Old European pace we’ll die a little earlier but I call BS.
Stress is one of the biggest killers and old Europeans don’t have so much of that in their life.
Perhaps they’re onto something.
2 of my newest Medium articles (paywall free)
The best content I’ve consumed this week
Newsletter - The Write Letter by Eva Keiffenhim. I’ve been following Eva for years, she must have one of the biggest thirsts for learning I’ve ever seen. Her newsletter is for any of you who would like to write either for a living or just for fun. Lots of tools, articles, and tips coming your way if you sign up.
Book - Duende: A Journey In Search Of Flamenco by Jason Webster. Flamenco has been an obsession of mine for years, ever since I first experienced it in Jerez in 2015. I’m back in Jerez for a month so I’m re-reading Jason’s incredible true story about a Brit trying to infiltrate the tight-knit world of Flamenco.
Christian McEwen has a great book, World Enough and time on the topic of pace, slowing down, and it’s relationship to creativity. I actually gave myself a two day retreat to take in the message (along with reading a few other books). All of that to say, yes! Slowing down has myriad benefits.
Life in the slow lane...I love it there. We haven't been able to travel since Covid hit. Next March will be the first opportunity for that when we plan to go to Mexico. I have slowed down purposely in life. It drives my wife nuts when I drive the speed limit. When she's not in the car with me, I follow the slowest vehicle, roll down the windows and turn up the music. I'm in no hurry to get anywhere. It was the same when we were walking in Europe. I don't know if I slowed down because there was so much I didn't want to miss, or if it was just to soak up the atmosphere. But there's something to be said about walking through big European cities like Rome, Paris, and London...there's just something about slowing down and enjoying life.