How Slow Living and Nature Inspired My Small Business
Here’s how slow living and my love for nature inspired my small business, Clementine Rose. I’ll also be sharing how my slow living journey began, why I decided to embrace it and how for me slow living and nature both go hand-in-hand.
My journey toward a slower way of living began in 2017 following my diagnosis with Crohn’s Disease. I became so much more conscious of my health and well-being and discovered how stress, anxiety, and busyness were all having a serious negative impact on both my mind and body. Perhaps this is something you’ve experienced too?
So, I decided to slow down and seek a more gentler way of living to help my body heal. I don’t think I really knew the term slow living at the time, but I started reading more about it and felt drawn to bring it into my daily life. It wasn’t easy at first, but as I slowly added more calm, joyful and intentional moments into my day, I began to see just how much this slow living thing was creating such a huge positive impact.
Just in case your new to slow living, and you’re wondering what it’s all about, just like I was, here’s a little bit about what it is:
Although, I honestly don’t think there is just one specific definition of slow living! I feel that it’s something that is unique to each of us for many different reasons. For me, it’s living more intentionally and mindfully, while staying connected to what really matters most in life, helping me to prioritise what I spend my time and energy on and making conscious and purposeful decisions that benefit my well-being.
I love making time for the small moments throughout my day that bring joy, and living more slowly encourages me to prioritise those moments, which in turn helps me care for my mental and physical health and listen to my body when it needs rest. When I think of slow living here are a few of the words that I automatically think of:
Simplicity, rest, mindfulness, joy, calm, cosy, connected, intentional, soulful, grounded, energised, restorative, peaceful, and reflective.
What words does slow living make you think of?
A little bit of background: I started working when I was 14 in a restaurant/bar and then moving on to retail. But my goal for many years was to start my own business. I left my job in retail after it was negatively impacting my mental health and was making me very unhappy. I’m still so thankful that I had that job and I loved the people I worked with, but it just became too much for me. I was given more and more to do, often tasks that weren’t even part of my job description. I ended each day feeling exhausted, no longer enjoying the work and often found myself in tears.
Having been a blogger for many years and working with different brands, publishers and authors, along with a strong passion for helping others on their online journey, I wanted to turn what I had been doing on the side, something I really cared about a lot, into a business. So, in October 2022, I finally started my own business, something I hadn’t had the chance to do before due many different reasons.
Embracing a slower way of living definitely helped me to take that step toward doing what I felt was right for my well-being and for starting my business, along with helping me to begin putting what matters the most in life first.
Now you’re probably wondering where nature comes into all this! All my life I’ve loved being outdoors and visiting and exploring new places. Being in nature brings so much calm and joy to my day. It’s a much welcome escape from screen noise and the daily hustle and bustle of life, providing a chance to reconnect and re-wild. I always find that nature sparks so much creativity, while bringing happiness and peace into my life in such a simple yet transformational way. Have you felt this too?
It felt so natural to integrate the rhythms of the natural world into my small business. For me, slow living and nature very much go hand-in-hand. I love feeling connected and aligning myself with nature’s rhythm, not only in my daily life but also in my work too. Each season has its own beautiful purpose and timing, rather than forcing itself. There’s so much we can learn from nature!
Did you know… nature can help reduce stress, make you feel more relaxed, improve your health both physically and mentally whilst nurturing your wellbeing. It also boosts productivity, improves sleep, provides nourishment for our souls, reduces loneliness and lots more! It’s why I’m so passionate about welcoming nature into my small business.
Incorporating slow living and nature into my own small business and digital marketing has been such a wonderful and fulfilling journey, which is what inspired me to share all that I’ve learned and experienced along the way. I share a lot more about this in my two workbooks called Reflect & Recharge and Reflect & Nurture, which you can learn more about here.
Is slow living something that you have embraced within your day-to-day life? Or maybe it’s something you would like to embrace? I’d love to know your thoughts, and what slow living means to you? What do you love most about nature?