the Toxic Side of slow living

Slow living changed my life, but there's a dark side to slow living as well. How can you recognize toxic slow living? Find out as we talk about the problem with slow living and what slow living and mistakes to avoid on your path to simple living!

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If you're new here, welcome! I'm Madi, creating videos about minimalism and slow living every Tuesday or Wednesday. In my videos you will see my minimalist home, my capsule wardrobe, decluttering, inspiration for slow living with kids, intentional living, minimalist finances, things I no longer buy, things I no longer own, things I buy more of as a minimalist, and just overall my passion and inspiration for simple living!

#slowliving #darksideofslowliving #slowivingmyths

The Toxic Side of Slow Living

Chapters:
00:00 what is the toxic side of slow living?
01:20 work is bad for you
02:20 live off-grid
03:30 change your aesthetic
04:24 don't have kids

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[MadisunGray]

What are some misconceptions or myths about slow living that you've had or that I should address in the future? 👇
I hope that this video is encouraging and gives you permission to break the "rules"

[amybowman]

As someone who lives off grid in a 300SF cabin with three kids I tell ppl all the time that living simply can be done anywhere, even in a busy city. I myself fell into the trap of believing that if I just lived in a kind of place or house I would become that person but that is the biggest deception. If you cant embrace those ideals where you are now you won't likely do it with a picturesque cottage in the woods either. I hope that encourages others to stop pining away for a fantasy and start doing it right now, where you are.😊

[marijasvetozarevic]

I’ve always perceived slow living as being present within every activity that you do no matter where you are or what you do. I never saw it as having to be in a certain location and no work. You don’t need to be doing anything physically and you’re mind can still be rushing.

[LadySublimity]

I live in an off grid cottage in the countryside that we built ourselves and it is NOT slow…it’s a ton of hard work! Hard work is extremely important AND creating pockets of slower restful moments is beautifully necessary.

[ATravelerOfWorlds]

''slow living is NOT an aesthetic'' - thank you! I needed this.

[emerybayblues]

M problem is 1) people who do "slow living" don't acknowledge their privilege. Most people working 12 hr/day or 2 minimum wage jobs aren't doing it to live some lux life or hustle culture. They're are doing it bc they won't eat or have a place to live period.

[lanceschmidt]

I grew up in a conservative Mennonite community in rural Mississippi. Life was simple: no radio, no tv, no movies, plain clothes (women in dresses and men in plain trousers and simple shirts), children started helping at a young age and by 18 or 19 were fully employed on the farm or other employment, and leisure activities involved outdoor play, bonfire sing-a-longs, and walks in nature. I could go on, but suffice it to say the life mantra was "modesty, simplicity, and economy". In many ways were part of the OG on slow living, although we never had that term or thought of it that way. It was simply normal life.

Anyway, I now live in a small condo in the heart of downtown Vancouver, Canada, which is one of the most densely populated square mile areas in North America. Quite honestly, the principles that I grew up with as "normal" work just as fine here, even if they show up in different ways. I have no social media (except YouTube), read a lot, take daily walks, stay away from noise and the general fray, cultivate intimate friendships with a very small group of people while being friendly to all, cook simple yet delicious meals at home, grow herbs on my patio, keep a small wardrobe of simple, inexpensive clothes with little variety, and overall live into the mantra of "modesty, simplicity, and economy". I don't advocate this way for everyone as we are all different, but it has given me a wonderful life over the years. A big plus has been that my lifestyle has allowed me to put away enough money that I do not have to fear a forced change of lifestyle in retirement.

[Tim_G_Bennett]

Believe me living off the gird in the countryside does get really lonely at times.

[hellokittyver]

Slow living is to be mindful of the moment. You can work a corporate job and still practice slow living.

[ruthiespotion]

My boys were born for slow living. They’re a huge reason I’ve kept our yard space a little explorative and not manicured…just planting anything that sounds fun to pick or grow.💗

[Claudia_K.]

I do think that a misconception of slow living is “working hard at home”, doing the mundane stuff but loads of it - baking bread, making every meal from scratch, sewing clothes, harvesting home-grown produce, making music, reading and writing, homeschooling… I work 40+ hours, so does my spouse and even though we consider ourselves minimalists and simple lifers, we actually don’t have time to do all this. It makes me feel “bad” and I think this slow living perception can be very toxic. I’m happy if I can mend my child’s ripped trousers or bake a cake or enjoy a few tomatoes from the balcony. The slow-living-YouTube-bubble can be very harmful and not every well-meant suggestion what slow living should be like is actually good for us. I think your video is a first step into the right direction and I’m glad you spoke openly about it. x

[Sunflowers]

This is such a good and important topic. While I do love slow living and enjoy the little things, I also love having a busy social life (some days) and working. Now I only work 28 hours a week but I genuinely love going to the office.
Equally I also love sleeping in, staying home for the day, do some gardening, baking etc.. it’s all about balance for me 🤍

[jessicabowden]

I kind of feel like it’s impossible to live slow when you have to work full time and you’re kids are not little and all have places they need to go. I’d like to be able to bake breads and grow things but I feel like I can barely get the bare minimum done.

[gretelkettle]

I wish I could describe how much your videos have changed my life. I had reached Total Overwhelm, Total Burnout. Your channel was exactly what I needed. I was a mom that tried to do it all- raise and preserve all our foods (meat, milk, produce), make our cheese, bake/cook from scratch, use cloth diapers, no microwave, make my own cleaning products, have a 30 acre farm and allll the animals, feel stress from buying processed foods, be a prepper with years worth of supplies, etc etc. I have 10 kids and I homeschool! Our youngest is 2. I’m 49 years old. I had anxiety and panic attacks. Instead of having a breakdown I harnessed that energy into doing a massive decluttering of my entire life. I’ve been at it for a year. I work in spurts. It’s been absolutely amazing in SO many ways.
❤️❤️🌼

[hannahbentson]

I’m only 2 minutes in and already my soul feels so at rest. Your voice is so calming.

[TheSeedsower]

Our Creator has created a calendar for mankind to live by. I myself follow His calendar throughout the weeks resting every 7th day and His other Feast days throughout the year . I feel deep rest and peace in my life now where as before I began living this way I did not. I was unbalanced and felt tierd and weary most of the time. All I can say is our Creater knows what we need and His wisdom for life far exceeds ours.

[Springfield]

I really like what I'm learning from you. Thank you for reminding this 72 year old woman that slow is healing. God bless!

[wendyduncan]

Thank you so much for short videos that actually get to the point quickly. I agree that anything of value will have cheap imitations. Living slow requires serious discipline and priorities. I can see where it would be desirable to try and buy the life. Doesn’t give the same result at all. We just want life to be gentle so we choose to make it that way as much as possible. The strike looming at work had made it higher stress to be there so I doubled down with choices at home to help boost my peace.

[erintannehill]

Thank you for starting with the misconception of hard work. Balancing hard work with slow living wasn't easy for me in the beginning, but once I learned that they can harmonize together, it was like Heaven opened up and rejoiced. I know that's a big statement, but that's how transformative it was for me. I love working, but I also enjoy living slower when I'm not working. I still have a lot of things to learn about keeping it in harmony, which is why I love watching your videos. :)

[amanipierez]

Dear Madi,
I just want you to know that you inspire me to intentionally live a slow living lifestyle with my two kids and husband . We live in a society where materialistic things equals success. Having lived in dubai for over 12 years and moving to a slower country in australia has definitely opened my heart n eyes . People often ask me do I miss living in luxury and my answer is always yes but I do enjoy the slow pace of living in Melbourne. Iike you say you don’t need to live off the grid to experience such a beautiful pace in life ! Thank you for inspiring us mums ! I hope you decide to write a book one day ❤