Living with less stress by adopting a slow-living lifestyle

Shortly after we were shocked by the death of former talk show host and "enfant terrible" Robert Jensen due to a heart attack, we heard about the stroke of Max von Kreyfelt, the founder of Café Weltschmerz, who is often called the godfather of alternative media.

Both Robert and Max were the voices of that part of the Netherlands that disagreed with the coronavirus measures.

While Robert Jensen passed away, Max survived, which prompted him to write this column shortly afterward, in which he advises people not only to fight but also to think about recovery. Others in the podcast world have also reached this conclusion.
That's why we want to pay more attention to "slow living" in times of stress this time.
Especially because we're also going through quite stressful times in our own lives. We're certainly not the only ones.
I hadn't personally heard of it before, but I immediately made the connection with mindfulness. Slow living goes much further and is much more of a lifestyle, which is also related to the phenomenon of 'simple living'.

But first, Max's column.

Dear friends and followers,

I long thought that struggle was primarily a mental thing.
That you could win with arguments, with perseverance, with being right.

My body thought differently.

13 years of living in constant struggle, against framing, exclusion, and power, put me in a permanent state of readiness. Always on. Always alert. Always ready to respond. As if rest was something I could only afford later.

On the same day, Robert Jensen and I suffered a stroke. He suffered a heart attack, I suffered a brain attack.

He didn't survive. I did.
That difference doesn't feel like happiness, but like a warning.

Struggle is destructive. Not immediately. Not visibly.
But insidiously, slowly, in silence.

First you lose sleep. Then space. Then people. Friends disappear. Conversations become less frequent.
Life shrinks to the fight itself.

What I didn't want to see then was this:
the body doesn't distinguish between a physical attack and years of social pressure. Between an immediate threat and constant uncertainty. Stress isn't an opinion. It's biology.

The struggle for freedom is often romanticized.
Those who persevere are strong.
Those who break were apparently not strong enough.

But that story is wrong.

Because structural struggle without recovery isn't courage, it's exhaustion. You don't have to lose on substance. The body ultimately makes the decision.

The most dangerous moment is when suffering becomes normal.
When exhaustion feels like a duty.
When stopping no longer seems an option because it's immediately too much to let go of.

Then you're no longer fighting power.
Then you internalize it.

I almost had to die to understand that.

That I'm still here while Robert is gone has changed my perspective. Not on freedom, which remains non-negotiable, but on how you carry it.

Struggle doesn't require self-destruction.
It requires care, support, rhythm, and boundaries.
Not less focus, but more sustainability.

React less.
More control.
Recovery as a strategy.

Because truth has no use for exhausted bearers.
And freedom has no use for those who succumb to it.

Fighting may cost something.
But not our lives.
I love you,
Stay alive!
Max von Kreyfelt

What is slow living?

Here’s a collection of the best—and most straightforward—slow living definitions and descriptions in the media:

“Slow living is living in a more balanced, meaningful, and life-affirming way.”

“Slow living is a lifestyle choice.”

“People every day are constantly living at a fast pace which is making them feel like their lives are chaotic – but with slow living they end up taking a step back and start enjoying life being conscious of sensory profusion.”

“Slow living is a lifestyle emphasizing slower approaches to aspects of everyday life.”

“Decelerating the pace of modern life.”

“The Slow Living Vision is of an Earth where humankind, honoring and celebrating the profound connectedness of all people, places and living beings, gives back by co-creating mutually supportive communities, bioregions and economic systems — and where we combine the wisdom of the past with a vision for the future to ensure a balanced, fulfilling way of life for all generations to come.”

Individuals describe what slow living means to them:

Slow living is a life philosophy, a state of mind and being, a reflective approach, and methodical process to daily life

Slow living is purposeful and fulfilling

Slow living is nourishing, savoring the minutes instead of counting them

Slow living is holistic, timeless, and based on ancient wisdom and spirituality

Slow living is about pacing, being steady and consistent

Slow living is taking a long-term view of your own life and the world around you

Slow living is about well-being and doing everything as well as possible instead of as fast as possible

Slow living is conscious, intentional, mindful, and living deeply

Slow living is an organic and natural way of living

Slow living is balance, ease, sanity, and low stress

Slow living is connection with yourself, those around you, and the world

Slow living is countercultural because it goes against the norm that “faster is better”

Slow living doesn’t treat everything in life as disposable

Slow living is fighting back against the current state of busyness and “time poverty”

Slow living quotes for inspiration

“The central tenet of the slow philosophy is taking the time to do things properly, and thereby enjoy them more.” — Carl Honoré

“Slow Living means structuring your life around meaning and fulfillment. Similar to ‘voluntary simplicity‘ and ‘downshifting,’ it emphasizes a less-is-more approach, focusing on the quality of your life. Slow Living addresses the desire to lead a more balanced life and to pursue a more holistic sense of well-being in the fullest sense of the word. In addition to the personal advantages, there are potential environmental benefits as well. When we slow down, we often use fewer resources and produce less waste, both of which have a lighter impact on the earth.”

“I’ve interviewed more than 100 people who all have different views on what it means to live a slower life. From tree changes to urban living, tiny homes to ethical consumption, self-sustainability to slow food – there is no one right way of describing the external indicators of slow living because there is no one way to live a slower, simpler life. At its heart, slow living is a curious mix of being prepared and being prepared to let go. Caring more and caring less. Saying yes and saying no. Being present and walking away. Doing the important things and forgetting those that aren’t. Grounded and free. Heavy and light. Organised and flexible. Complex and simple. It’s about letting go of the excess stuff in our homes, learning how to live mindfully, getting in touch with our personal values and choosing to put them at the centre of all that we do.”

“Slow living is just living slowly, in whatever and however way that means to you. It’s about knowing and passionately loving the things we value, and designing our lives to spend the most time possible enjoying them. It’s about having intentionality and consciousness in our activities, about escaping the mindless scrolling and unproductive multi-tasking and focusing on purposeful action. It’s about embracing the fact that you’re not doing it all – it’s about doing less, but better.”

Slow Living Bloggers

Slow living and simple living overlap but are technically different. You can see what inspired some of the top slow and simple living leaders here.

The list below only includes those more focused on slow living.

Brooke McAlary — SlowYourHome.com
Emma Scheib — SimpleSlowLovely.com
Erin Loechner — DesignForMankind.com
Amy — MoreTimeThanMoney.co.nz
Angela — SettingMyIntention.com
Carl Phillips — FrictionlessLiving.net
Alice — Sloely.com
Carrie and Bernadette — SlowFamilyLiving.com
Christine Hohlbaum — PowerOfSlow.com
Emma — LimeAfterLime.com
Melanie Barnes — GeoffreyAndGrace.com
Jessica — TheWoodlandWife.co.uk
Jen Chillingsworth — Little-birdie.com
Courtney and Michael — SomewhereSlower.com
Tove Nordström — TheConsciousEdit.co

The history of slow living

There seems to be a worldwide consensus that everything started in 1986 when Carlo Petrini protested against the opening of a McDonald’s in Rome.

This moment would mark the beginning. A few years later, the international slow food movement was officially founded.

Some people have reverse-engineered SLOW as an acronym: Sustainable, Local, Organic, and Whole. While some of these principles apply to other aspects of slow living, it’s certainly most applicable to slow food with its emphasis on quality ingredients, sustainability, and local production and consumption. The people in the Blue Zones who live the longest on Earth (like the Ikarians who live simply for 100+ years) would approve.

“There has always been a parallel track for contesting the notion that faster is better – a countercurrent for slow. Thoreau going to Walden pond, Nietzsche talking about too much speed, Bertrand Russell, the hippies. Then in the eighties the Slow Food movement came along and took back the word ‘slow,’ which has become a four-letter word in our culture, and said fast food was detrimental. They were focused on food, but since then that slow moniker or tag has become a global shorthand for a better, more balanced way of doing everything.”

The World Institute of Slowness: In 1999, Geir Berthelsen created a “think tank” called the The World Institute of Slowness¹. He believes “the best thinking often comes from a walk in the ‘slow lane.'”

“Slowness is the forgotten dimension to time. Unlike chronological time, it is non-linear, time here and now, time that works for you, extraordinary time. So why be fast when you can be slow? Slowness is also about balance, so if you must hurry, then hurry slowly.” — Geir Berthelsen

Enter The Slow Movement

Believe it or not, apparently almost two decades went by before the phrase “slow movement” was coined by Carl Honoré in his 2004 book, In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed.

“The slow movement advocates a cultural shift toward slowing down life’s pace.”

SlowMovement.com describes it this way:
“By joining the slow movement we have the opportunity to connect to life. What does connecting to life mean? To connect to life is to connect to every aspect of our lives. Most important of all is to connect to ourselves, and to our own movement within life. That is, to connect to our body and our mind, to connect to spirituality, to our stage in life, to connect to the natural rhythms that guide us, and to connect to death and dying – a natural part of life.” 

The Slow Movement today

The ever-expanding slow movement goes way beyond slow living and slow food today.

There’s now a slow version of almost anything you can think up: slow money, slow parenting, slow education, slow reading, slow design, slow architecture, slow medicine, slow science, slow gardening, and even slow religion.

And, “slow living” is used interchangeably with a number of other slow living synonyms:

• paced living
• unbusy living
• balanced living
• intentional living
• connected living
• deep living
• purposeful living
• holistic living
• soulful living
• long-term living
• low-stress living
• eased living
• time-rich living
• conscious living
• mindful living

Slow Cities

Slow cities—or cittaslow since it was founded in Italy—is the “International Network of Cities where Living is Good.” There are currently 236 cities across 30 countries that have met the criteria to call themselves slow cities.

Slow cities aim to slow down the overall pace of life, design the space for humans (vs traffic), improve the quality of life in urban areas, take care of the environment, promote a healthy lifestyle, and preserve the special nature of local cultures.

Slow Travel

As you may expect by now, slow travel mimics slow cities. You travel at your own pace instead of rushing through your trip. You savor every moment. You know the people that race through countries just so they can claim they’ve been to a certain number? Slow travelers do the opposite—they immerse themselves and stay for awhile.

While traveling, slow travelers connect with the local communities by eating and sightseeing at local places instead of going to touristy or mainstream destinations. Some go as far as living like the locals.

Slow travel often means you try to find “low-impact” ways to travel. Like many things in slow living, slow travel is also a state of mind in how you plan and execute traveling.

Slow Fashion

“Slow fashion” was coined in 2007 by Kate Fletcher. Slow fashion is about quality over quantity. It’s developing garments that can last a lifetime — or, at least for years to come. You often see smaller brands leading the charge into slow fashion with small batch or limited run product lines.

It’s common for slow fashion to be sustainable and eco-friendly: organic, recycled, or re-purposed fibers, fabrics and materials. This is incredibly important because as I learned firsthand, fashion is a dirty business.

Transparency is also key. More and more slow fashion brands are exposing their manufacturing, supply chain, and pricing models. Price can be higher for slow fashion products, but the transparency allows you to see where your money goes. And, just imagine how many years the garment will last. Buying timeless, slow fashion pieces is a great way to build a long-lasting capsule wardrobe.

You still need to do your homework to make sure you are actually shopping and buying slow fashion. There’s a lot of greenwashing5 these days.

Slow fashion can also encompass buying secondhand or vintage clothing, repurposing old clothing,

“New ideas and product innovations are constantly redefining slow fashion, so using a static, single definition would ignore the evolving nature of the concept.”

How to start a Slow Living lifestyle

Busyness and more are the defaults today. That means that it’s ironically perceived as more difficult to live slowly and with less. But, more and more people are learning firsthand that more does not equal better. And, busy does not equal important. Busyness will not be a status symbol forever.

Instead of only enjoying parts of your day, wouldn’t you rather enjoy all of it? Instead of a busy life, wouldn’t you rather have a full life? After all, like Annie Dillard said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”

5 myths about Slow Living

Slow Living Myth #1: Slow living is about doing everything as slowly as possible
This is definitely one of the biggest misperceptions. Slow living is not about living your life in slow motion. It’s about doing everything at the right speed and pacing instead of rushing. Slow living isn’t about losing time by going slowly; it’s about gaining time by doing the things that are most important to you.

Slow Living Myth #2: Slow living is the same as simple living
You can live simply but not slowly, and you can live slowly but not simply. Simple living is more focused on things (materialism, consumption, etc) and slow living is more focused on time (energy, balance, etc). Some of us choose to take the best of both worlds and live slowly and simply—think of it like a Venn diagram where there’s some overlap in the middle.

Slow Living Myth #3: Slow living is a look/aesthetic
One of the big myths of slow living is that it’s simply an unachievable aesthetic of cozy, neutral tone home decor and clothing posted on Instagram with desaturated photo filters and tagged #slowliving. Slow living isn’t the staged, “perfect” images you see on Instagram and Pinterest.

Slow Living Myth #4: Slow living is about doing and being less
While slow living eliminates the nonessentials from your life, the intent is to free up time so you can be more.

Slow Living Myth #5: Slow living is anti-technology
Slow living isn’t about traveling back in time. It’s about using technology as a tool instead of technology using you.
Gadgets are neutral – they’re tools, and it’s down to how we use them. Many people think the slow movement is Luddite, but it’s about using technology to find the right tempo. I have an iPhone, I have wireless on my laptop, I use Twitter and Facebook – but I use all of that stuff with what I consider to be a slow spirit. I don’t feel like I’m harassed by these gadgets, or a slave to them.” — Carl Honoré

10 ways to get started with slow living

1 understand busyness and that it is a choice
2 define what is most important to you (essentials)
3 say 'no' to everything else (non-essentials)
4 start slow and small by downshifting
5 practice being present (even in the mundane)
6 create space and margin in your day (and life)
7 adopt a slow information diet
8 commit to put your life before work
9 get outside physically to connect dots mentally
10 find inspiration in the slow living community

Slow Living Tip #1: Understand busyness and recognize that it is a choice
Start by reading the busyness post series: Busyness 101)
You’ll realize that busyness is mostly a feeling. So, like many things in life, you have a choice. Most of the slow living tips below come after this awareness. If you remember the definitions , one said “slow living is a lifestyle choice.”

“Busy is a choice.”

7 Hypotheses for why we are so busy today

1. Busyness as a badge of honor and trendy status symbol — or the glorification of busy — to show our importance, value, or self-worth in our fast-paced society
2. Busyness as job security — an outward sign of productivity and company loyalty
3. Busyness as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) — spending is shifting from buying things (“have it all”) to experiences (“do it all”), packing our calendars (and social media feeds with the “highlight reel of life”)
4. Busyness as a byproduct of the digital age — our 24/7 connected culture is blurring the line between life and work; promoting multitasking and never turning “off”
5. Busyness as a time filler — in the age of abundance of choice, we have infinite ways to fill time (online and off) instead of leaving idle moments as restorative white space
6. Busyness as necessity — working multiple jobs to make ends meet while also caring for children at home
7. Busyness as escapism — from idleness and slowing down to face the tough questions in life (e.g. Maybe past emotional pain or deep questions like, “What is the meaning of life?” or “What is my purpose?”)

Slow Living Tip #2: Define a purpose and what is most important to you (the essentials)
Have you really given thought to your life purpose? Have you identified the life roles that are a priority in your life? Start by figuring out what’s important.

“Busyness is, at its core, about misplaced priorities.”

Slow Living Tip #3: Say “no” to everything else (the nonessentials)
Once you start saying “no,” you can say “yes” to the things that matter most to you. You will begin to eliminate “I’m so busy!” and “I’m too busy!” from your vocabulary.


Slow Living Tip #4: Start slow and small by downshifting
Ease into it. Start with downshifting. Or, if you’re already into minimalism, use minimalism as momentum into slow living. And remember, you can’t do all the life hacks (not even the best ones). A better approach is to phase them into your life one by one.

“It’s something most of us deal with every day, often without realizing it’s there: a feeling of time scarcity. We know it well: the feeling of having too much to do and not enough time to do it all. This is true not only of work — where we have too many projects, meetings, emails, admin tasks, calls, requests, messages — but also of our personal lives. We want to exercise, eat well, meditate, learn something cool, travel, go out with friends, spend time in solitude, go for hikes, read a million books, take care of finances and errands, keep up with podcasts and news and interesting online content and our loved ones on social networks and fascinating people on social media, while finding space for contemplation and quiet. ”


Slow Living Tip #5: Practice being present (even in the mundane)
Break free from the unconscious default setting of your mind and start awakening to the present moment.
“Do what you’re doing while you’re doing it.” This means when you brush your teeth, just brush your teeth. When you wash your hands, feel the water flow over them. When you eat, be mindful at mealtime and focus on the meal and people with you. This practice can even bring joy to chores like doing dishes and vacuuming the house.

Slow Living Tip #6: Create space and margin in your day (and therefore, your life)
We often try to fill our free time with more things to do. If you free up time in your life, don’t rush to fill it. Leave your free time as free time. It will feel like you are actually gaining time in the day even though there are still only 24 hours. And, there’s real science behind taking breaks.

Slow Living Tip #7: Adopt a slow information diet
Apply digital minimalism or a digital declutter experiment to digitally detox your life. Many of our challenges as a society today are human and not technological. Remember, our basic needs never change.

Slow Living Tip #8: Commit to put your life before work
This one is easy to say and tough to execute. Here are some tips specifically to unbusy the daily work grind.

Slow Living Tip #9: Get outside physically to connect dots mentally
Some of the most creative people in history used time blocking and went on multi-hour afternoon walks. There’s a reason you have aha moments in the shower and on walks. Get on the “forest bathing” bandwagon.
NPR.org : an EPA study found that Americans spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors We are, after all, animals, and it’s hard to forget that, even if some try real hard, surrounding themselves with walls, metal, glass, and screens. Those people tend to pay a price, often with their health and quality of life.”

Slow Living Tip #10: Stick with it by finding inspiration in the slow living community
Maybe it’s Gandhi or the slow living leaders of today. Consider starting with a slow living challenge or the slow living resources in this article. Over time, you’ll start to realize the power of slow and you’ll want (and even need) less and less

Summary

In our article we use the recent death/near-death of two outspoken Dutch alternative media figures—Robert Jensen (died of cardiac arrest/heart attack on January 12, 2026, age 52) and Max von Kreyfelt (who survived a stroke around the same time)—as a wake-up call.

Chronic stress from constant fighting (against mainstream narratives, exclusion, power) destroys the body over time. It's not just mental—it's biological.
Years of being "always on," alert, and angry silently erode health: lost sleep, shrinking life, broken relationships, eventual breakdown or death.

Non-stop struggle without rest isn't strength, it's exhaustion and self-harm. The body doesn't care if you're "right"; it forces a stop.
Romanticizing endless battle as courage is wrong—true sustainability requires self-care, boundaries, recovery, and pacing.

Slow living is the solution: a deliberate lifestyle to reduce stress and reclaim balance.
It's about slowing the frantic pace of modern life, prioritizing quality over speed, being present, saying no to non-essentials, creating space for rest, and focusing on what truly matters. Not laziness or anti-tech—just intentional, mindful, low-stress living that fights busyness culture.
You can keep fighting for freedom/truth—but do it sustainably.
Causes need alive, healthy people, not burned-out martyrs. React less, control more, treat recovery as strategy.
Start small: Recognize busyness as a choice, clarify priorities, say no often, build in downtime, practice presence, limit info overload, get outside, connect with others.
Bottom line: Don't let the fight kill you. Slow down to stay in it longer and live better.