I’ve never thought of myself as much of a “habitual” person, even though, let’s face it, we all are. Good habits, bad habits, mindless ones we don’t even realize we’re doing… habits are just things we do often. But for a long time, I equated habits with discipline. And I’ve always hated that word. Discipline felt heavy to me, like a cousin of punishment. As if the only way to get good results was to suffer for them. Be consistent and tough. No excuses! That kind of energy.
I thought of habits as the kind of things that got you a chiseled body, a bursting bank account, or a mind so still and zen it practically levitated. And while I wanted those outcomes, I just couldn’t get myself to play the game. For years, I struggled with inconsistency. I’d work out every day for a week, only to skip the next three. I’d jump out of bed at 5 a.m. for six months, then snooze through mornings for the next six. The only habit I seemed to be good at was falling off the wagon.
Then, I began my slow living journey, and ironically, things started to change. I didn’t have a perfectly organized plan. I just had the simple rallying cry, “Slow down, Candis.” At first, that was it. Just slow down. But over time, I started to notice a handful of nourishing rituals taking shape naturally in my days. These slow living habits have become anchors that help me feel rooted, creative, joyful, and more consistent than I’ve ever been. And the best part is that not one of them required punishment.
The Daily Habits That Transformed My Life
I didn’t force these habits into my life. I just started following what felt both good and a little uncomfortable, especially after being so used to the full-on rush mentality. They grew slowly and intuitively, over time. And before I knew it, they had become the foundation of a life that feels peaceful, embodied, and deeply aligned with who I really am.
Here are the ten slow living habits that gradually, almost accidentally, changed my life:
1. Prioritizing Moments of Nothing
One minute. Five minutes or ten. It doesn’t matter how long, what matters is the intentional pause. During my moments of nothing, I might stand barefoot in the kitchen and stare out the window into the afternoon rain. Or I’ll sit on my balcony in the morning sun gazing off into the sky. Sometimes I lay on the soft rug in my living room and just stare up at the ceiling.
At first, it only happened when I felt my spirit unsettled. I’d stop mid-scroll or mid-thought, close my eyes, and breathe. Or I’d just let myself stare out into the space in front of me. It was awkward at first. My mind kept trying to convince me I was forgetting something. My body would twitch, feeling anxious to do something.
But over time, my body and spirit began to trust the stillness. In the silence I stopped feeling like I was missing something, and started feeling truly present.
Now, I take moments of nothing all throughout the day. A pause between clients. A breath before I open my laptop, or a long gaze into the sky to remind me of the spaciousness within. These micro-pauses help my spirit come down from the ledge, my thoughts to drift away, and they remind me that I can rest, even if it’s just for a few beats.
2. Waking Without an Alarm Clock
Allowing myself this luxury is, honestly, one of the great achievements of my life. Truly. Top tier living. And yes, I’m laughing as I write it, but I also totally mean it.
I used to wake up at 5 a.m. every day, determined to conquer the world before sunrise. And in the months when I’d fall off the bandwagon, I’d guiltily hit snooze until I could drag my body out of bed. There was no grace in my wake-up game. Just a mix of ambition and shame. So my days always started with one of two energies… either determination or guilt. Neither of those felt particularly nourishing.
As I began shaping my lifestyle with more intention, one of the first things I shifted was my mornings. I built a slower schedule that starts later in the day and gives me the space to wake up without an alarm clock. And after years of rising early, I still tend to wake with the sun. But now, I rise naturally and not to the jarring shriek of a phone or a sense of obligation.
And on the days when I do need to set an alarm, I give myself a buffer. I leave space to wake up slowly, to stretch and lie in bed for a few minutes, soaking in the softness of my mattress and the palms waving hello through my window. It’s a small ritual that tells my body, Hey, you don’t need to rush. This simple act of taking my time sets the tone for the whole day.
3. Writing on Paper
Handwriting on a crisp page of my notebook is one of the simple pleasures of my life. Few things compare to that first page of a fresh journal… blank, beautiful, and just begging to be filled with revelations and musings. I love it.
I have a never-ending flow of ideas, gratitude, questions, life philosophies, and random brain tangents that just spill onto the page. I don’t write to be profound. I write to untangle what’s circling in my head and lay it down somewhere safe.
There’s something about using actual paper that feels grounding in a way typing never has. The sweet sound of a pen scratching across the page and the texture under your hand. It’s a small rebellion against the digital world, and it helps to keep me connected to the big wide world offline. I even keep a paper planner where I write down my daily big 3 tasks for the day. This helps me stay rooted in real time, and not get lost in tabs and screens and apps.
4. Listening to Soul Music
When I was a teenager, I used to fall asleep with my CDs spinning on my bedside table. I loved music so much I couldn’t bear the silence even as I drifted off to sleep. But somewhere along the way, after getting caught up in the hustle of American life and the constant striving to “make it”, I slowly and unconsciously gave up the simple pleasure of listening to music. I stopped singing (I have a terrible singing voice, but still! Ha). I stopped lazing on the couch on Saturday afternoons with an album playing in the background. I traded it all in for business podcasts, motivational YouTube videos, and, by night, numbing television sessions with my then-husband. Life became more about “making something of myself”, than it did about enjoying my life.
These days, I’ve returned to the music that used to move my spirit. Soul music brings me back to my roots. I think of my dad’s raspy voice, singing old gospel in church. His version of Amazing Grace could stop time. I think of Al Green and Barry White playing through the car stereo as we cruised down the highway on a random afternoon. The windows down and the beats alive in our bones.
Now, soul music flows from my vintage-style Marshall speaker as I slow cook in my kitchen. I dance barefoot while sautéing onions and I sing without caring who hears. And as the music slowly moves through my body and down into my hips, I feel like a woman reborn.
5. Having Color on My Plate
I love a good plate bursting with color. One of my all-time favorite meals is fresh homemade mango salsa, coconut rice, pickled red cabbage, and broiled salmon. It’s tropical, vibrant, full of flavor, and it looks like art. Lately, I’ve also been baking these hearty, seeded rice breads, brimming with whole grains, sunflower seeds, black sesame, and flax. I’ve even started adding grated beets or pureed pumpkin into the dough, just for the hue.
When I sit down to eat, I want my plate to delight me. A handful of spinach here. Some sweet peppers there. A drizzle of olive oil. A scatter of goji berries or pistachios on top. A golden papaya sliced in half and filled with coconut yogurt. It’s beauty and nourishment all in one bite. It doesn’t take long but it makes all the difference because it’s not just food, it’s pure creativity!
I’ve made it a habit to be blown away by the colors of my plate. To notice the brightness, the contrast, the way it all comes together in a way that makes me feel like I’m celebrating something special every time I sit down to eat. Taking those few extra minutes to make something colorful and intentional slows me down in the kitchen and, in turn, slows me down in life.
6. Tending to My Plants
I don’t have a lot of plants. If you’ve read my post on creating a slow home, you know I lean minimalist. But the three plants I do have, low maintenance as they are, I care for them like little green altars. I water them and wipe their leaves and turn them regularly so different parts can move toward the light.
For a long time, I struggled to keep plants alive. I’d forget, overwater, or just lose track of what they needed. But when I embraced slow living I became more attuned. I started sensing when they were thirsty, when they needed more light, when my rubber tree wanted to stretch toward the sun.
This habit became a relationship and a metaphor for everything else. Plants remind me that growth doesn’t have to be loud or fast, that beauty unfolds over time, and that turning toward the light is always a good idea. Tending to them is one of the slowest, simplest, most grounding habits in my life.
7. Taking Slow Daily Nature Walks
One of the first things I do most mornings is leave my apartment and head out for a walk in nature. I live in the city of Miami Beach, where concrete and high-rises surround me. But even here, amid the bustle and the buildings, there’s beauty everywhere. Bougainvilleas spill over fences in hot pink and magenta, hibiscus flowers peek out from alleyways, palm trees sway everywhere.
The air is thick like a sponge, clinging to my skin in that familiar Miami way. I feel the humidity wrap around me as I walk. I listen to the birds, the wind, and the honks coming from the crazy drivers (the city is notorious for them, so I just laugh).
Being outside and being on foot, help me feel grounded, alert, and connected to life beyond the walls of my home. I don’t take these walks for exercise and I don’t bring headphones. I just walk slowly and take it all in.
8. Moving My Body Slowly
I’ve had a long love-hate relationship with structured exercise. As a kid and teenager, I was actually pretty good at sports. I’ve won my fair share of medals in the pool and on the track. As an adult, I even took it as far as competing in a physique competition. So movement has always been in me. But along with it came the pressure to perform, and the belief that if I was going to move, it better be hard, fast, and intense. No excuses.
When I started embracing slow living, I knew that how I moved my body had to shift, too. So, I gave myself permission to slow it all the way down. At first, that meant simply moving through the gym without pressure. Showing up without needing to sweat buckets or push past a breaking point. Just being there was enough.
Now, I do Lagree, a super slow resistance-based strength training method, twice a week. I also practice yoga at least once a week. And, it’s changed my whole body. I feel stronger, more flexible, leaner, and surprisingly, I’m in the best shape of my life. But more than that? I don’t dread showing up! There’s no punishment energy in it anymore. Moving my body slowly is a slow living habit I know I’ll keep for life—God willing!
9. Burning Candles
I burn candles on the regular. It doesn’t matter if it’s daytime or nighttime. I just love them. There’s something about the soft glow and the slow-release scent of my favorite vanilla candle that makes me feel instantly grounded. The way it flickers in the corner of the room transforms the mood of the space and brings a sense of calm that feels both subtle and soothing.
Some nights, when it’s really still, I’ll sit out on the balcony with a candle dancing in the dark, staring into its mystery. Other nights, it’s perched beside the tub while I soak in the bath, its flame glowing in the tiles and water. There’s no noise or music. Just the stillness of water and the slow dance of the flame. The flicker is mesmerizing. It draws me in, and before I know it, I’m deep in meditation. Just fully present and relaxed.
10. Having Unscheduled and Spacious Time with Friends
I used to book friend time the same way I booked meetings… with tight time slots squeezed between responsibilities. A coffee catch-up here, a dinner there, all slotted in with one eye on the clock. A lot of my friendships started to feel transactional, rushed, and crushed into the margins of my life. But I’ve learned that real connection needs space to breathe. The most heartfelt conversations don’t happen on a schedule, they happen when no one’s rushing out the door.
Building slow friendships has meant cultivating the slow living habit of being fully present. It’s not about seeing my friends all the time. Sometimes months go by before we manage to align schedules, and some of them have calendars much fuller than mine. But when we do finally get together, I give it space. I give it my full attention, and I let it be slow. Long, leisurely meals. Lazy beach days. Cross-legged chats on the living room floor with tea in hand. Music vibing softly in the background. No agenda and no rush. Just being together.
Changing Your Life One Slow Living Habit at a Time
Turns out, I am a habitual person. A person with some truly great habits that nourish my body and soul on a daily basis. And surprisingly, changing my life didn’t require me to suffer at the foot of some brutal, rigid routine. I didn’t have to wake up at 4 a.m., have daily ice-baths, or hustle harder to “earn” joy. What actually changed my life were simple rituals so rooted in pleasure, presence, and the desire for peace that I didn’t even realize I was forming them at first.
These slow living habits didn’t come from a master plan. They emerged one by one as I started listening to what my spirit really needed. None of them are groundbreaking on their own. But woven together, they’ve completely transformed the way I live. They’ve helped me to reconnect to joy and made my life more beautiful, more present, and more free.
If you’re craving more slowness, more soul, more room to simply be, I hope these daily slow living habits offer a starting place. They’re not meant to be a to-do list or a challenge. They’re just a permission slip to start living differently.
So, if you’re about it, pick one habit, and let it slowly change you. And if you already have slow living rituals of your own, I’d love to hear them! Drop them in the comments below.
Ps. Want to begin your journey to a slower, more peaceful way of living? Sign up for the free 5 Days of Slow audio course here.
