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Living on the map
WELLNESS
Ideas to slow down in big cities
Leading big lives with quiet minds.
HOW TO FIND PEACE WHILE LIVING AT OUR FAST MOVING PACE
When we moved to Paris to work for a few months, I was nervous at the idea of being stuck in such a busy city with thousand of random people by my side everyday, continuous street noise and no real trees in sight.
But living in a metropole does not mean we need to give into stress and forgot completely our slow living desires. So here are our tips and ideas to find peace and quiet, even in the busiest of towns.
HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO STAY CALM AND CONNECTED EVEN IN THE BUSIEST OF PLACES.
1. PEACEFUL COMMUTING
Commuting usually is an important part of the big city life and can feel like a daunting task when one faces a forty minute train ride smashed up against the window by a sea of strangers, or stuck in traffic for an hour each day. And although we don't always have the choice to do things differently, there are many options to make this part of our day more enjoyable.
Our favorite one is to cycle. Finding our way out of the subway and car and onto a saddle, being outside and physically moving towards our office made all the difference. If your home is quite far from the office, you can use bikes for all short distances and inside city movements, cutting your time inside public transport in half.
For larger commutes, you can choose to read or listen to audio books. Both wonderful options to let your mind escape to a completely different space, and making this time of your day much more productive.
2. TAKE THE CITY FOR WHAT IT HAS TO OFFER
A perk of living in an ever changing city is the panel of cinemas, museums, galleries and eateries to discover. No better way to wind down then by treating yourself to a bit of culture with a movie night, a quiet stroll through museums (avoiding peak times) or a book reading in a small shop. Choose your times carefully and direct your attention towards the tiny galleries that might have a different kind of exposed pieces along with smaller crowds. No need to go far and put yourself through transports, aim at local activities and discover what your neighborhood has to offer.
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3. CHANGE YOUR SCENERY
Stress and fatigue build up when our minds are stuck on the same things over an over again. By taking breaks outside of your work zone, you invite a change of pace, distractions and a bit of color into your day. Taking strolls away from your office, eating in a park, going for a coffee across the street are all ideas to break your work day and allow your mind a much deserved break.
4. GREEN TIME
Spending time outdoors is known to reduce stress by feeding our bodies the right kind of fatigue, regulate our sleep through natural light exposion and creating some space in our minds. Even in big cities you can discover spaces to surround yourself with trees, find grass to walk on and tune out the traffic sounds to focus on birds and wind blowing in the trees.
5. THINGS TO AVOID
Our to-go culture undoubtably comes from our need to multi-task and overdo just about everything. But slowing down can also mean that instead of taking a coffee to go, we could sit down and allow ourselves a ten to fifteen minute run-free time. Sit with your order and taste the coffee, smell the food, feel the warmth of it, let this moment flood your senses. Take time to look at the place, at the people or take a book with you to delve into this relaxed break, before you go back to the rest of your day. This small change might just offer you the mental space you were craving and alter your day altogether.
Large cities can feel overwhelming because of the time it takes to commute, the mass of people surrounding you all day long and the constant noise this intails. But by avoiding peak times, finding backstreets and small museums, discovering new cafes and neighborhoods, you can decide to make your life, a lot of fun !
HOLD ON TO SANITY AND DON'T LET IT GO ! LIVING BUSY LIVES CAN BE DONE WITH A LIGHT HEART AND A SPRING IN YOUR STEP.
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