The Garden Chronicles

It's always good to be reminded of the need to slow down and enjoy life. Here's The 10 Essential Rules for Slowing Down and Enjoying Life More by Leo Babauta, which includes an 11th Essential Rule for Slowing Down and Enjoying Life More: Garden.

It’s an irony of our modern lives that while technology is continually invented that saves us time, we use that time to do more and more things, and so our lives are more fast-paced and hectic than ever.

Life moves at such a fast pace that it seems to pass us by before we can really enjoy it.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Let’s rebel against a hectic lifestyle and slow down to enjoy life.

A slower-paced life means making time to enjoy your mornings, instead of rushing off to work in a frenzy. It means taking time to enjoy whatever you’re doing, to appreciate the outdoors, to actually focus on whoever you’re talking to or spending time with — instead of always being connected to a Blackberry or iPhone or laptop, instead of always thinking about work tasks and emails. It means single-tasking rather than switching between a multitude of tasks and focusing on none of them.

Slowing down is a conscious choice, and not always an easy one, but it leads to a greater appreciation for life and a greater level of happiness.

Here’s how to do it.

1. Do less.

2. Be present.

3. Disconnect.

4. Focus on people.

5. Appreciate nature.

6. Eat slower.

7. Drive slower.

8. Find pleasure in anything.

9. Single-task.

10. Breathe.

11. Garden.*

* Added by The Garden Chronicles