Thanks to all of your support, I was able to invest back into the channel and get myself a better laptop, which made editing this video a breeze compared to my old laptop. So grateful for all of your support! Thank you to everyone here on RU-vid, to all my patrons on Patreon, and to the brands who support the channel. Couldn’t be here without you all. :) Have a wonderful day!
Always a treat to up the quality of the gear used for the things we love doing, congratulations 😊 I'm getting a new camera this week, second hand. Win win 💕😊
@@LilliSkog Totally agree! Rendering a video used to take 3 hours, now it takes 5 minutes 🤭 So happy! Also, congrats for your new camera, yay! Excited for you
Slow living has saved both my sanity and life since I dropped everything and moved to the rural countryside to escape the pandemic back in 2020. I haven't looked back once! I thought I was escapung, but in truth I was coming home, and I found myself again. I am so grateful to see more people talk about this in a slow, down to earth way 💕 Thank you for sharing, Vera 😊🙏🏼
Coming home is a beautiful way to put it. We too moved away from the city to the rural countryside during the pandemic. I have found my happy in doing the mundane like sweeping the big porch.
I love the very last bit: "Will this cost me more than it will bring the other person." As a lower energy person, this will help me say no. Sometimes what might not seem like "a lot" to others, ends up costing me, personally, a great deal (energy mostly). Thank you... nice pointers/reminders to hear after a crazy Monday; I feel realigned and reset already ☺ Naomi
Yes! I can relate to that 100% :) Usually, when I explain that this thing will cost me more energy than they might expect, they will understand better. Sometimes, a small gain for the other person will cost me a great deal. On the other hand, sometimes we can help someone out tremendously by doing something that's quite easy for us. So this question is always very helpful for me :)
I was just talking with my husband last night about how our culture (here in the US) is so fast-paced and how I want to shift towards a slower pace of living and to normalize the idea that you don't have to constantly be busy all the time. Slowing down and taking time to rest/recharge is very important and beneficial for health. Thanks for the video, Vera!
@@thebirchtree8871 It can definitely be a challenge, but some companies are starting to focus on the importance of work/life balance and providing mental health resources. However, there is still the push to go go go all the time and it results in many employees getting burnt out. With my husband and I both experiencing burn out within the past two years (in addition to mental health challenges) we've really been trying to take it slower in the areas we can, such as family time, scheduling activities with friends, etc. Surprisingly when I tell friends and family about trying to live slower and more intentional I've received nothing but praise (when I feared we'd be seen as lazy).
I love to do crafts…cardmaking, jewelry making, especially needlework…crocheting, knitting, and best of all.. counted cross stitch. I have an almost endless supply of patterns, threads, fabric, etc and will most likely not use them all in my lifetime…I am a 74 yr old retired RN. So “Enough is enough” should be my mantra. Your video makes me realize that. I am not saying I will not buy more supplies, etc, but I definitely need to cut back. I love your videos and you are one of my top You Tube choices…such good, sound advice. Hope you have a blessed day!
I now have my Sunday dedicated to myself, just as you do Vera. It feels a bit weird in the beginning, some guilt of course when rejecting other activities. But having those "me time" Sundays is so precious for my well-being.
I love the not now zone I'm going to also use not yet zone 😋 when friends push for a meet up despite the fact that I'm explained politely I love NO too Vera. Thanks for sharing your awesome beautiful videos Vera 😘
My friends often think I'm anti-social, but I'm not. I just prefer quiet one-on-one get togethers. One friend is extremely loud, and I prefer to speak with her on the phone instead of in person, but she wants to go out to restaurants which i have never enjoyed....too noisy. I need to implement many of the slow living tips you gave here. I think a couple of them will allow me to maintain most of the less-stressful aspects of life while still showing my friends how much I love and appreciate them. I am glad that you are back, Vera! You look so rested!
Happy to hear you enjoyed the tips in this video Karen! And I think it's great you have it figured out for yourself in what way social activities work out for you the most :)
Dear sister,u hv given beautiful points to practice slow living.i really needed this. Thnks a bunch.shall save ur video,and watch it again and again until i m able to apply all the info in my life!!💜💜💜🤗
I loved the "when life speeds up, slow down" part a lot! I often feel stressed at work because I try to rush through my work in order to finish it earlier. And then I get angry because I feel so stressed. So I will try your advice to just slow down and breath next time :). Thank you, Vera!
That's so true, I have a hard time slowing down lately. I feel anxious when I don't do as much in my day as if I am not doing "enough" or am falling behind.
Really grateful to have found your channel. Another HSP here suffering burnout and trying to make a career switch, possibly whole lifestyle switch. Not as many social safety nets here in the US which makes it hard. Your tips about following your intuition and doing one thing well versus three things poorly really resonates. I think that’s what HSPs gravitate to naturally. Permission to do it my way. Thanks. 🙏
This is just the video I need right now. I am trying to create boundaries in my life. Around self-care, when I'm working and when not, where I want to spend my time, etc. So, thank you!!
Hi Vera, for me “no is just as valid as yes” m still working on, it is the hardest thing for me because of all the reasons you mentioned but I feel so much better when I say no, mostly to things I don’t enjoy doing and if I say it to someone without hesitation or doubt then usually the person won’t push me to do it, so this also shows respect and honesty towards them because you’re not being fake or false with them. Love the enough is enough and not now zone also. I think we can be a lot more productive when we take time for rest and reflection. Thnx for this helpful video! 😌
What a lovely surprise to wake up to a SHZ video on a Tuesday! Enough = enough resonates with me. I'm working on not always looking for something to want. I also appreciate #6, doing things that feel right for me, and no matter what others think is the right thing to do.
Your "Not Now time" used to be called Sabbath, or Shabat. God told everyone from the very beginning of time to honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy. It was instituted long before the Ten Commandments were even given. It was a prescribed day of rest. Every seventh day was time to Simply shut down, unwind, and rest. It is still practiced and honored To This Day in Israel. The entire nation just comes to a complete halt for that day, and everyone relaxes, unwinds, and rests. What a lovely tradition! I wish all nations practiced it, especially the US. We are the most stressed out, overworked, Restless people on the planet! It's good to see that someone roughly half my age has figured this out and is sharing the value of quiet time with everyone. Thank you for a wonderful post.😊💛 I really enjoyed it! I felt my pulse slowing down, my breathing quieting, and my mind stopped racing as I listened
Hi Vera, thanks for this pleasant Tuesday surprise! I'm so happy to see you reading Stormlight - I think it is one of the best book series 🥰 Hope you'll like the rest of them 😍
Ah yay! I loved the Stormlight Archives series. I've finished reading the 4th one, so now it's waiting for number 5 to come out :) I've also read the first Mistborn trilogy.
✨Enough is enough. 💖 I quite like that better than “less is more” because sometimes, depending on values and hobbies, a little more can actually be more, but I really think it’s about being intentional about what we’re bringing into our space rather than having the least amount of things possible. Also, slow living is always an ongoing goal of mine.
@@SimpleHappyZenu know what? the new adage is,...it is,"Less is everything!!"Minimalism,slow living and spirituality and service r my favourite things!! Lots of love from India,fellow sisters!!💜💜💜👍
A few years ago I was working two jobs, had a senior dog to care for and was running to the gym six to eight times a week and trying to maintain a home. I was always so tired. Now I only have one job which I work from home and I refuse to be rushed by anyone in order to do it. I still exercise but have been doing it at home and not as often. I have learned to take a week off every so often when my energy reserves are low and just go on walks instead. Now I create margins to do as little as possible daily, especially on Sundays. I also stopped saying yes to everything and everyone. I no longer have a problem saying no because people would drain me at every opportunity because I was always the one that they could count on. I'm finally putting myself first.
I completely relate to the “enough is enough” rule! That’s my crucial rule for some years now, but I urgently need to adopt the “not now” rule, because I tend to think and think about a problem or a decision over and over again and I don’t get to enjoy the time I’m having. 💙💜❤️💚💗🖤💛🧡♥️
Hope the not-now zone will be helpful for you too then! It's great because it both acknowledges that you have permission not to think about it for a while, as well as determining when the not-now zone will be over, so you know you'll get to it later and you won't forget or anything.
Not now is an amazing rule. I am using “ I will think about it tomorrow “ line from Gone with the wind movie. But it’s the same idea and very very important rule.
I need to slow down, I know this is the right thing for me to do. The thing is we are fooled into thinking if we do things faster we will achieve more, but i am finding that is just not true. I end up never ever doing anything right and then i get more and more fustrated. My phone / internet drives me crazy and is a constant annoyance, how do we ever keep up with it all. The constant need to be entertained instead of doing it for myself is so controlling. Enough was my go to word for the year. and that one word blessed me so much. Time to embrace that word again thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much for sharing Jacqueline! Perhaps you could also benefit from unplugging a bit more. I started leaving my phones in another room most of the time, out of sight, out of mind. The amount of mental breathing space this brings me was unexpectedly huge :)
You are really good! I’m a RD who practices Taoism! Maybe I found someone who feels the same sort to speak. Bravo! BTW I just started my own business as an IE RD. I’m handling this new journey just like you!
Vera, I've just discovered your channel and it's great!! When you talked about slowing down, I immediately remembered Phil Dunphy...haha...Just love the "slow is smoothe and smooth is fast" and use it every day. Thanks for the video!
Number 6 has been most impactful in my life. The best choices and lifestyle changes I've made was through my gut 😆 My surroundings were saying to me that what I was doing was correct way but somehow I always had instinct to do it another way and 99% of the time it was a good decision. No one in my circle of friends is vegetarian and it sometimes causes inconveniences but I stopped eating meat anyway and it changed my life totally.
Yup, adopted enough is enough a few years back and the biggest thing interfering with that is unexpected gifts from people 😅 but me myself I'm pretty good at sticking with it and I have never looked back! Dankje!
I’ve been gradually slowing down my evening routine and feel so much better for it. No rushing around to get everything sorted so ready for “me time” but instead slow and steady keeps allows me to build a routine which results in better time management for myself
1) Enough is enough 2)Creating margins into your life 5) the not now zone- all three of these are great. "Will this cost me more than it will bring the other person."-crucial for learning to say no. Very insightful video!
I don't go to stores, shop online or have any store advertising in my inbox. when I do need something, I buy second hand or repurpose. Up until 2020, my life was quite simple and intentional. Since then, my work environment has been in overdrive! My struggle is that I have no "empty" time. I work and have to complete a university upgrade (required to keep my job) and have a family. I say NO to EVERYTHING else!!! There is no time for socializing or for myself. My classes are evenings & weekends, so I don't have weekend downtime from work. Feeling VERY burned out!!!
First, I had a flashback to my dad saying 'enough is enough' when I was a child (his attempt to get us to slow down, I guess? lol). The tip that resonated with me was that no is as valid as yes. As a grandmother, I have difficulty saying no to my family because yes feels more nurturing and loving. Even though it sometimes results in me feeling drained and stressed out! At this point, everyone would be shocked to hear a no from me. ;)
Haha yes, I can see that :) Try asking yourself the question I mentioned in the video, perhaps that could be helpful in deciding which things you'd prefer to say no to from now on. :) If saying yes will cost you more than it will bring the other person. :) Hope it helps!
My favourite habit is to value the empty time in my schedule ... I've not yet found things that restore me if I'm feeling tired/overwhelmed (other than rest and time!), so I try and build plenty of empty time in my schedule to avoid overdoing it. I also love your suggestion of a 'Not Now' zone, I shall definitely try that one too.
Hi, this is so beautiful... Thank you for sharing your amazing self, I have been following your channel for a while, and just listening to many tips you have shared has changed many ways I approach things. This is a wonderful gift.
Hi beautiful Vera! Thank you for the gentle reminders to be kind to ourselves. Your soothing voice is so calming that I have often played your videos to fall asleep 😴 Much Love ❤️
Enough is enough, I needed to hear this today as I've recently been caught up in buying clothes again (after working hard to minimize my wardrobe). Thank you Vera 😊
Happy you found some helpful insights here :) Also, no need to beat yourself up if you do end up buying some things. Just see where you'd like to go from here. :)
The “enough is enough” rule is the one that I’m really trying to accomplish. I set myself a goal to pay of my debt in about 7 months time, so I really have to stick to this rule. I’m decluttering at the moment so this gives me the feeling that it will be easier not to buy any new stuff. The rule of how you look at things works almost perfectly with me. I can almost enjoy everything I do although I’m not a big fan of household jobs, but it really doesn’t work for vacuming 🙃. No matter what I say to myself as soon as the vacumecleaner is on the floor it starts to get caught by the tables and chairs, knock over glasses and I can only swear 🤣😂🤣
Oh Lawd. I’m really bad about the speed up getting wound up train. For me it’s a lot to do with excitability. Maybe like when you run a marathon and you get that initial energy burst. When I was on the track team (when we once ran a 10k) they said don’t just take off but pace yourself. Of course they had to tell us sprinters that tho. (And of course I didn’t listen and the ones I passed early on passed me later and I was pretty dang tired as well. You would think I’d learn by now. But that’s a great tip. Like just stop and slow down and just breathe on purpose. And also the “not now.” I say that to the cats all the time (lol they can be very demanding at times) but I also need to say that to my own thoughts. Well as the video moves on, I’m just like oh my. Bcuz I’m also like the wound up little kid all jacked up on Mountain Dew at midnight as well as much of the other. Def I need to look into all the ways I can not get so caught up in all the hyped up excitability. I do eventually crash and get lazy and veg out for awhile, but I know I very often push it for too long. Granted it is a lot better than when I had zero things in my life to be excited about and when I was depressed most of the time, but still there really is only just so much energy which is not limitless. I also think a part of me is trying to make up for so much lost time dealing with so much grief and pain and sadness in the past. I know this is getting long but yah. I mean it’s almost like decades of suckage and you just want to keep that new “alive” feeling going and not lose it and for things to not get so down and drudgy like they used to be most of the time. You just want to try many new things and experience everything good that you never really had. But sometimes for me it def is a lot of being wound up a bit much for a bit too long like an excited little kid who runs until they drop half dead. 😅😅 And I have made jokes about that also. Such as I don’t do meth Bcuz I AM meth. Lol. I’ll def take that over feeling like a dead, numb zombie person full of apathy tho. I think enough is enough goes without saying for me...I call myself good enough girl Bcuz I’m trying to kick the perfectionism habit. Almost like constant upgrading stuff but at some point it becomes like trying to climb the Tower of Babel to get to Heaven.
Even though I'm not a full-time student (I'm only taking 2 classes this current semester), I still find myself feeling tired when the homework starts to pile up, so this video is very helpful to me! May end up using that tip of creating a not now zone to my schedule, and start prioritizing better sleep patterns as well since I'm more of a night owl by nature. Thank you for all that you're doing, Vera 😊❤️
A mi me pasa en el punto 1 de enought is enought con las pinturas.. pienso ya tengo suficientes, por mucho que quiera cambiar a pinturas más sostenibles quiero terminar las que ya tengo ❤🌱🌏🎨♻️
Oh several of these stood out. I will rewatch. Certainly building margins and the not now zone sound critical for me. Off to cancel a commitment based on my gut self care response ;)
Heart of Kentucky. SIMPLE HAPPY ZEN. Hello VERA in the NETHERLANDS. So good to see you. I still pray for you and yours. Hope you have a totally blessed day. Katie.
I would say living by my intuition (which I am very deliberate about) as well as seeing what I did in my day as enough spoke to me. Thanks for sharing, Vera. ☺️🙌
Love this! I call my “empty” or personal time my Sacred Solo Sabbath. I completely unplug, usually on a Sunday, and it has become an invaluable staple in my mental health. Just knowing I have this time to look forward to. Unfortunately, it has been difficult to explain to some people, including an old friend. She often invites me to hang out with her or her family on Sunday, despite me reminding her Sundays are personal days. Some people are so offended that they are not the exception, like you don’t want to make time for them. I know I’m not the only person who deals with this 😅
Hey Vera, it is not that easy to act slower when you are forced everyday at work to hurry like crazy to get everything done. Even if you love your job and geht used to it. So you will hurry automatically at home too when there are things to do.....Difficult.....Greetings from Germany 😊
Hi Susanne! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree, it's not easy for everyone to just practice self care in the workspace, unfortunately. Many of us don't really have the option to slow it down. Breathing and minding your neck and shoulders is perhaps something you could try and focus on a bit more?
Love the enough is enough mantra. I have a small space for my particular weakness - yarn purchases, so I use stash if it is full. No matter what. Much love xxx
Great video, as always! 🥰 Living more slowly and with intention is definitely something that's more natural to me, but at the same time I tend to be a people-pleaser which makes me anxious 😅 So it was really good to get some inspiration 💕 I especially like your 'not-now-zone', gonna have to try it! It reminds me of something I implemented in my life recently and quite accidentally - one day a week I mark in my bullet journal as 'self-care day'. But it's not face masks and pampering, just simply a reminder to treat myself as my best friend and prioritise what's best for me in everyday situations - like getting a break or doing what I want to do without feeling bad. Small moments during the day but a huge boost of good mood and confidence 🙌
Your tips are very helpful- nice to see you and thanks for sharing. I often think of jobs to do when it's rest time- gradually learning too change that
Enough is enough and no is as valid as yes resonates with me. My boss keeps telling me to set boundaries and say no to things- it’s hard but I’m trying !
I struggle to slow down with my creative projects. I am editing a fiction book to be published in early 2023, making RU-vid videos posting twice a week and making artwork of my original characters from my stories as well. I love creating and writing/drawing is a wonderful practice for me, but since it's making me pennies at the moment, i can't fully focus on it. I have a fear of it not working out for me. But i hope to make it work and monetize my RU-vid channel soon as well as make sales again on Amazon KDP for my coloring books and soon, my first fiction book as well.
Oh nice, ben je Rhythm of War aan het lezen? Ik ben al een jaar ofzo halverwege, vind het geschreven met zo veel poespas... is het wel de moeite waard om door te bikkelen?
Hi! Ja ik heb hem inmiddels uit :) Heb je deel 1 t/m 3 wel ook gelezen? Anders mis je wel veel voorkennis denk ik. Ik vond deel 3 en deel 4 in het midden wel een beetje sloom gaan, maar uiteindelijk is het zeker meer dan waard, ik heb echt enorm veel genoten van het laatste stuk van Rhythm of War. Het bouwt langzaam op, maar daardoor voel je er wel veel meer bij. De karakter ontwikkeling van bijvoorbeeld Kaladin vond ik geweldig. Is mijn mening in ieder geval :)
@@SimpleHappyZen yes heb de rest ook gelezen, met dezelfde hoeveelheid moeite🙈 maar oke, je zegt dus dat het de moeite waard is! Dan ga ik toch nog door bikkelen, want ben wel razend benieuwd waar het allemaal heen gaat, vind het nl wel echt een steengoed verhaal...! Bedankt en ik kijk uit naar je volgende video!😁
You've found commendable content. I've read a similar book, and it was more than satisfactory. "Mindful Mastery: Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World" by Kyle Ash
@@SimpleHappyZen yes I am, it took a good 12 weeks, but life is back to normal thank goodness, makes you appreciate the SIMPLE things…. Thank you for asking and also remembering with all your subs I don’t know how you do it 😀❤️
I really love the not now zone and the one before about life being what you make of it especially with the chores!! Thank you so much for your video! I took copious notes to keep me in the present!
I’m going to try ‘not now time’ -during times of uncertainty or when my mind reels on challenges -to give my mind something else to do and break the over-thinking cycles. Also I’ve found great benefits in scheduling me time and down time on the weekends, because even going out and having fun still takes energy and being “on”, we enjoy our quiet time just as much.
