We live life in the fast lane. We race to keep up with The Joneses. We are over-worked, over-committed and over-stressed, and we compete on how busy and important and sleep-deprived we are. But we don't need to.
There is an ever-growing group of people who are saying no to life lived at 110%. They are opting to slow down, simplify, say no and focus on the things that are truly important. I'm one of them, and in The Slow Home Podcast I chat to others who have adopted a similar approach to life - slowing down, opting out, saying no.
Listen in to learn what makes people change, how life is different once you adopt a slower way of life, and what their advice is to anyone looking to get out of the fast lane.
“If we really want to change the world, we need to slow down.”
Katie Patrick
Often on the podcast we dance around the
topic of technology – usually viewing it as something that gets in the way of
our efforts to slow down and live a more mindful, sustainable life. But what if
we embraced technology and viewed it as the greatest opportunity we have to
change (or maybe even save) the world?
In this week’s episode I chat with Katie Patrick, an environmental engineer and designer who applies data-driven, gamification, and behavior-change techniques to solve the world’s environmental problems.
And upon reading that you might think, “What does that have to do with slow living?” but let me share with you that it has everything to do with slow living.
In our conversation today, Katie shares how it’s only possible to access our full creative potential (the same creative potential that we need to access if we want to create world-changing solutions) if we learn to slow down. (Yes I said “Woah,” out loud when I first heard this.)
And in further narrative-shattering news, Katie tells me that our brain does not function in its optimal, problem-solving state if we spend all of our time stressed out and rushing. So in that sense, day-dreaming and doodling and working on creative projects with no specific outcome attached is not only good for our health, but it’s good for our brains and the planet itself.
There are a lot of people who listen to this podcast who want to change the world in both big and small ways. Maybe you want to reduce plastic waste or encourage people to compost. Maybe you’re spreading peace throughout your neighbourhood by teaching meditation or simply being that oddball aunt or uncle who teaches young kids random facts about flowers in the hope that one day they will grow a love of nature and a desire to protect it.
No matter how you want to change the world, this episode is full of strategies and suggestions on how to do it. Not only in your own efforts, but in inviting others to join your efforts too. Because I think that’s one of the biggest hurdles we face right now in making big, world-changing efforts: how do we get others onboard?
Katie brings with her a completely new perspective on what it’s going to take to change the world, and it’s a refreshing, hope-filled, imagination-fuelled joy to listen to. This episode has so much juicy goodness for us to think about and I can’t wait to see what world-shaking changes it brings about in all of us.
Questions
featured in this episode:
What role does optimism play in our ability to
change the world?
Why do we need to slow down in order to access
our creative potential?
If we lead busy, full lives, how can we make
space and time for creativity, particularly when it feels like a ‘nice to have’
rather than a necessity?
What’s the link between optimism and taking
action?
Why do you think the current environmental, climate
crisis messaging is falling flat for so many people? What can we do to change
it?
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