One of our Slow Club online participants reflects on the process:

The task for week one was to notice my speed.  I can’t say I honestly managed to do this daily, however I did make a concerted effort to reflect on my speed and to be appropriate in the time I took to do tasks.  One of the things I noticed was that I think and feel calm when in motion under my own steam.  So when I was on my bike or walking I felt very much at the appropriate pace to my activity.  However when I attempted to walk slowly I found myself speeding up to my normal pace – as if my feet had a mind of their own!  During my quick-slow-quick-slow walk I did make sure to look up and around me more as I walked, and thoroughly enjoyed this connection with my urban environment.

Week two asked me to ‘switch off’ some technology for an hour a day.  Hmm, I thought dubiously, what if someone calls, texts, tweets, emails or facebooks me – I won’t be able to answer straight away, panic!  Then I thought about the time before mobile phones, before constant social connections existed – I managed to live without tweets and texts then; maybe it was time to give it a go again…

I kept my weekend technology to a minimum, then from Monday I put my phone away during work hours.   I left it in my locker at work – only checking it at lunch and after work.  Usually I would have it in my pocket to check my emails frequently, and answer any calls and texts as soon as I received them.  I actually felt better able to concentrate on my work with out my phone ‘nagging’ me from my pocket.  This week I was working in a creative workshop, so I was completely isolated from technology in that sense, and… I totally enjoyed it!

The weekly task was to take a lunch break, something that I nearly always do already.  My job is, for the most part, manual so I find having a lunch break is an important part of my day – the opportunity to sit down and rest is vital to my ability to work.  This week however I took a walk on one of my lunches to the canal and had a little sit down there, watching the water. I also made sure to go outside for a part of my breaks on the other days, just for a spot of reflection and daylight.  I found it very relaxing to step away from the noise and conversation of the lunchroom, it gave me a pleasant energetic feeling when I came back that I don’t usually have after lunch.

Week three’s task is to watch my breath and eat mindfully, both outside of my normal habits.  I breath (as most of us do) without thinking, and my meals tend to be social – catching up with my partner, chatting to colleagues etc – so I will have to think strongly about my actions for this task.  I will blog about it next week, fingers crossed I manage to do it!

Bridget Harvey

http://www.bridgetharvey.co.uk

With limited reserves of energy and time at my disposal, I can never truly keep up with the Zeitgeist anyway. So I have decided, instead, that I will become a slow music listener. My rules are simple:

I will listen to albums from start to finish. One of the things I really miss as an adult is the joy of truly losing myself in music, for hours on end. I remember lying on my bed and studiously listening to every track on OK Computer, familiarising myself with each individual guitar part and bassline. I was once able to recite track-listings on albums backwards. I’d pore over lyric sheets and sleeve notes and obscure dedications and gatefold artwork. Then gradually one-on-time with music took a back seat to jobs, kids, aimlessly surfing the internet… And, meanwhile, the shuffle button slowly killed the album as artistic statement. But I refuse to be the cultural philistine who only downloads the singles. So I am going to put on records, be they by PJ Harvey or Tinie Tempah, and listen to every single track with no distractions. No Twitter feed, no Facebook updates, no rubbishy property show in the background. Just me, my headphones, my duvet, possibly a cup of tea and a packet of HobNobs. Bliss.

I will listen to music that I already own. My shelves at home are lined with thousands of CDs from the last 20 years. Most just sit there, slowly acquiring a film of dust. Yet are The Vaccines or any of the other bands du jour really better than the gazillions of forgotten records I already own, but can’t quite bear to throw out? Of course they are not. So I am going to resist the cult of the new, and the clarion call of this week’s supposed talent (James Blake, Nicki Minaj et al). Instead, I will journey to the centre of my CD rack. As well as the Bob Dylans or Beach Boys, the Elbows and Eels, I will revisit the recently unexplored nether regions, the much-loved World Party or The The or Talk Talk records, even if they are hideously unfashionable and everyone else has forgotten who they even are. I may be some time.

I am going to listen to songs I love over and over again. Just because I can, and without shame. (Current random favourites include Yeasayer’s ‘O.N.E’, Caribou’s ‘Odessa’, LCD Soundsystem’s ‘You Wanted A Hit’, Nick Cave’s ‘Albert Goes West’, and Nick Drake’s ‘Joey’.) Music is all about transporting yourself to a better place. In its best moments it’s a form of pure meditation and escapism. If you love it, listen to it and nourish your inner self. Even if ‘it’ (and I don’t say this lightly) is the Glee soundtrack.

I am going to listen to ‘slow’ music. Quite literally. In a fast-paced city, on a packed out Central Line train, it’s sometimes all that keeps my sanity intact. Folk is generally good (though I draw the line at Mumford & Sons). At the moment, during rush hour, I’m working my way through the Fairport Convention and Richard and Linda Thompson back catalogue. Very, very slowly. And, yes, in weaker moments I have been known to put on Classic FM.

Do you have a slow music rule you adhere to? Please let us know here.

Cheryl Freedman

I do experience a certain slowness when running though. It could be that because I’ve speeded up everything else appears to have slowed down. But there is also a kind of euphoric calm that happens to me midway through my run, after the initial horror of engaging in exercise starts to recede, and I begin to notice things. Sense perceptions become stronger, colours more vivid – the sky is bluer, I can smell the Autumn leaves – again, possibly my body’s way of blocking out the pain of physical exertion, but it feels synchronised rather than disconnected.

I had a teacher of movement at drama school who used to tell us to “slow time down” when we were trying to do a fast dance routine; somehow the mind could make everything run more slowly so that it had chance to stay present. It’s an excellent thing to try when you’re running for a bus or pushing through the crowds at Oxford Circus in rush hour. I suppose it’s essentially a way of focusing in your energy on the specific detail of the task in hand, rather than running away with the storyline of being late, or a rubbish dancer.

When I return from my run several things happen: Firstly I slow down to a complete stop, out of pure necessity, because I’m knackered. Secondly everything else seems to be much slower for a while in contrast to the speed I recently experienced. And finally I feel an overwhelming smugness that temporarily removes the need to worry about anything else.

Annalie Wilson
www.annalie.co.uk/

Read more of The London Loaf.

Soho Square by Jolyonh

We all need a slow spot: somewhere to collect our thoughts and indulge in a little quiet contemplation. Perhaps it’s a sunny bench in the park, or a favourite leafy square. Even in the bustling heart of the city, it’s possible to find places that allow us to find some space and take a deep breath. We’ve picked a few of our favourites:

Soho Square
The crowds of Oxford Street may be seconds away, but Soho Square is the perfect antidote. Forget the smog, the tourists, the pigeons. Lie back on the grass and eat an ice-cream, read a volume of poetry or simply indulge in some Zone 1 people watching. All of life is here, from English language students to media hotshots and old-school Soho seedy types.

Inns of Court
A sense of history hangs heavy in the air in the grounds of London’s legal inns. Most of these are open at lunchtimes, offering Chancery Lane and Holborn’s harrassed office workers a welcome sanctuary in which to devour a sandwich and perhaps enjoy a Dickensian daydream or two. Choose from Grays Inn, Lincoln’s Inn, Inner Temple or Middle Temple.

Postman’s Park
This inspiring little memorial garden celebrates the brave men and women who saved others’ lives at the cost of their own. Characterful hand-lettered tiles tell their heroic tales – whether it’s dashing into a blazing building or diving into the Thames to rescue a drowning stranger – which date back to the late 19^th century. An oasis of tranquillity moments from St Paul’s, just off King Edward Street.

Wallace Collection
Situated a short stroll from the chaos of Marble Arch, the Wallace Collection is one of the capital’s most enchanting art collections. It’s set in a splendid old town house, crammed with antique French porcelain and ornate furnishings. Once you’ve admired old masters like the Laughing Cavalier, take time out for afternoon tea in the conservatory restaurant. www.wallacecollection.org

Do you have your own favourite slow spot? Then share them with us by leaving a comment below.

Cheryl Freedman

Image Soho Square by Jolyonh2

Lunchhour by Simon Kimb

Slowing down in London can seem like a contradiction in terms. But it’s the little changes that can make a difference. Here are some tips that work for us on the Slow Down London team.

Please share your own tips and experiences of what works for you by leaving a comment below.

SLOW DOWN: IN THIS MOMENT

Notice your speed
Are you rushing? Do you need to?

Be still
Research shows that a goalkeeper who stands still when facing a penalty has a higher chance of saving a goal.

Breathe
Three deep breaths will help clear our heads and give us a new perspective on a situation.

Look up and around
Rushing around the city we often forget to see what is around us.

Savour the moment
Even a crowded tube has interesting people to look at!

SLOW DOWN: THIS WEEK

Start your day differently
Wake up five minutes earlier than usual so you have time to get dressed and have breakfast without hurrying.

Take a real lunch break
Eat al fresco, not al desko! Go and look at something; eat your lunch in peace, away from your workplace.

Listen with undivided attention
to a piece of music; to a bird singing; to your friend or colleague who is speaking.

Switch it off
It might be your email or your phone – take some down time to relax.

Walk a different route
With a change to our routine we can discover our neighbourhood and our city with fresh eyes.

I cooked a horrible meal last night. It had grit in it. I must have failed to wash the spinach.

Or perhaps it was that crafty little pak choi. But no, I can’t blame the vegetables – it was all me, and my lack of attention to detail in the rush to satisfy my rabid hunger.

However, all is not lost, for the experience has inspired me to launch a new diet plan. It’s called The Grit Diet, and it’s for people who love food but tend to eat more than they need. The basic premise is simple: cook your favourite meal and then put some grit in it. You’ll never over-eat again!

Grit is so versatile; you can sprinkle it on anything, and your appetite will be completely curbed! I went to bed hungry and this morning the memory of all that grit put me off my breakfast! Fantastic. As Britain battles with obesity, I may have just found the antidote.

They’ve given me an advance on the book already – it’s going to be called “Grit Your Teeth: A Journey Towards Food Intolerance.” I used to wish I was intolerant to cheesecake, but now I just carry a handful of grit with me and the temptation disappears! Magic.

You can reserve your copy of “The Grit Diet” (£12.99 inc. P&P) here. One to one coaching is also available.

Annalie Wilson
www.annalie.co.uk/

Read more of Annalie’s blogs: The London Loaf

Image: Pak Choi by Simon Aughton

But while this distresses me, I’m also implicated up to my eyeballs. I spend my weeks madly wedded to work deadlines, cramming in as much as I can and getting by on minimum rest. Hell, it’s only the third week of January and I’m already feeling burned out. So it’s exciting to be signed up for Slow Club, which over the next eight weeks will throw down the Slow gauntlet and challenge me to take my foot off the gas now and again.

According to my first email from the Slow Club team, my first challenge for the next week is simple: just noticing my speed. They recommend picking one moment in the day where your ‘internal speed demon’ kicks in. For this challenge I nominate my early morning routine, which generally involves leaping hysterically out of bed, skipping breakfast and running around swearing about not being able to find my keys. Sticking with the instructions, I’m not going to judge myself about this; but I have sneaking suspicion this is one moment where I could start slowing down.

On top of that, there’s a Slow Walk to take, which may involve tearing myself away from my computer screen one lunchtime. And most excitingly, a Slow Adventure around the city, which sounds like the perfect opportunity to remind myself that London has more to offer than screeching underground trains and heaving pavements of pushy people. Even in the most built-up areas, you can find peaceful places of retreat.

So there’s plenty to get cracking with. I look forward to reporting back with tales of speed, slowness and (attempted) contemplation in the Big Smoke.

Chris Cox

Image by Mike King

We‘ll give practical tips you can incorporate into your everyday life and playful experiences to help you slow down and enjoy the city. We hope that at the end of the course you’ll have a new, deeper appreciation of your life and London.

What’s involved

Each week you’ll get an email with the following:

Slow Instructions

• Daily Task – an action (or in-action!) to do every day this week. This will not be a large time commitment: the task might take ten minutes in the day, or no extra time at all, more a matter of doing something differently.

• Weekly Task –an activity to do at least once during the week –though you are welcome to try it more often.

Slow Adventure

• An invitation to do something new in London – go somewhere you’ve never been, try something different. Suggestions will be offered each week from Hayley Cull, co-author of Slow London published by Hardie Grant, coming out this spring. Your weekly Slow Adventure might involve visiting one of London’s secret green squares, going to a farmer’s market, or into a gallery to look at one piece of art.  Or you can do your own thing – it could be as simple as wandering into a different part of the bookshop. We will also be organising several group activities which you could choose to do as your slow adventure.

Slow Reflection

• Each week we’ll ask you to feed back to us (and yourself ) on how things are going. This will be a very short questionnaire that takes a couple of minutes, with the opportunity for more creative reflection if you feel inspired.

Slow ‘Progress Report’

• We will need you to fill in a slightly longer questionnaire at the beginning and end of the club, and then again two months after it ends.

‘Slow’ friends

To support and guide you during the eight weeks we invite you to:

• Tea meetings: Once a fortnight, the Slow Down London directors will host a cup of tea where you’ll have a chance to meet up with other members of the Slow Club and share experiences.

• Slow Adventures: There will be several opportunities to enjoy an activity together as a group – these may involve a walk, an art gallery talk, a session of ‘slow conversation’.

• Email us or visit our website: You can take part in our web forum, to share images on Flickr and Facebook, and email us if you’d like advice or to share your ideas and comments.

Booking information

We have now closed registrations for our first course, but we hope to run the Slow Club again – if you’d like to receive information, please ‘Sign up for Slow News’ on the right panel of our homepage.

Image by Paul Finn

1. Energy/Appliances

We all know that leaving electrical devices on standby is BAD and we should turn everything off at the wall. Another alternative is just to have fewer electrical appliances. The wind is a great natural hairdryer; it takes longer but you can enjoy a nice walk in the local park, thus killing two birds with one stone. (See #3. Exercise.) Be aware however that wind is often accompanied by rain, which is far less effective as a drying method and should be avoided at all costs.

Television uses up electricity and you have to pay the licence fee. It can also spark off addictions to certain series which can in turn lead to the purchasing of expensive box sets.  Box sets are usually so mind-numbingly boring that they require the additional entertainment of comforting snacks, thus instigating more expense. (see #.2 Eating/Drinking.)

2. Eating/Drinking

Cutting down on snacks and meals out could help to economize, painful as it sounds. The whirlwind of London life can seem like a constant provocation to consume, and it’s hard to leave the house without spending a tenner. Convenience is one of the culprits – your local 7-11 is only a few minutes away and while it probably doesn’t have what you want, it has plenty of over-priced sugar-rich alternatives.

Drinking is another notorious money pit – especially if you frequent the kind of establishments that charge £7 for a glass of wine. The added bonus of eating and drinking less is that you will undoubtedly shed a few pounds, possibly even disposing of your beer/muffin belly, thus enabling you to fit into all your old clothes instead of having to shell out for a new winter wardrobe.

3. Exercise

There’s no way round it, despite what the trainer manufacturers would have you believe. Exercise is hard work. But it feels great when it stops. And it releases all these dolphins in your brain so that afterwards you are left trying to figure out how to get rid of them. This takes up time that you might otherwise have spent indulging in retail therapy. Alternatively you can keep the dolphins and they will be your friends for life, providing you with companionship whenever you feel stressed.

Gym membership is tempting because in all the adverts it looks as if you just get on a machine and the machine does all the work and suddenly you are thin and you can go and lounge around in the sauna. Don’t fall for it. Exercise can also be done without the machines. Go for a walk or a run around the park, do yoga, play tennis, cycle – all valid forms of exercise –
and free!

Whatever you do, try being contemplative about how you spend your money, instead of frittering it away in a quest for momentary satisfaction. It may provide a brief respite from the tumult of twenty-first century living, but the key to a longer lasting peace is in the mind….

Annalie Wilson
www.annalie.co.uk/

Read more of The London Loaf.

Image by kalandrakas (Flickr)

For the first film I asked people -

What stresses you out?

The second film asks the question-
What do you do to slow down?

The last film was inspired by one of the tips for slowing down in the Slow Down London brochure – ‘Three deep breaths will help clear our heads and give us a new perspective on a situation.’ This third film is called
Breathe

Laura Naomi Adamson, BA student, Byam Shaw School Of Art

P.S. A note from the Slow Down London team after seeing Laura’s film Breathe: for a ‘deep breath’ to be calming, try breathing down into the belly, rather than puffing up the chest! You don’t need to hyperventilate by taking in tons of air- three nice normal breaths can be enough to create a bit of space during a hectic moment.

Image by Tyla Arabas