Slowing

Description

An inviting guide to reclaiming your time and discovering the wondrous pleasures of slow living.

What beautiful possibilities await us when we slow down?

For author and Slow Stories podcast host Rachel Schwartzmann, slowing down has changed her story in ways she could have never imagined. In this poignant and timely collection, she invites us to step away from the turmoil of daily life and awaken to the pleasures of living and creating with intention.

Her captivating essays reveal how slowing down positively affects our minds, relationships, and work, and contributions from a wide range of luminous voices in art, food, design, and beyond—including Sophia Roe, Leah Thomas, and Jezz Chung—explore the magic that emerges when we intentionally shift our relationship to time and productivity culture. Throughout, readers will also find simple-to-follow guided practices for creativity, journaling, and introspection to help them discover their true rhythm and moments of wonder.

Page after page, Slowing is a balm for the stresses of modern life and a rousing call to experience the beauty and joy of slow living.

SELF-CARE TECHNIQUES: Featuring 52 stories—one for every week of the year—Slowing cultivates awareness, calm, and joy. Readers can immerse themselves in various narratives and practices for well-being and find what best fits their lifestyle and needs. 

FRESH APPROACH: Combining evocative storytelling, guided prompts, and inspiring design, Slowing offers a distinctive lens on time and attention—and is an authentic resource for anyone in need of encouragement to connect and be present.

DIGITAL DETOX: Slowing offers an enriching alternative for readers exhausted by social media and invites them to experience the joys of slowing their scroll. 

WELLNESS GIFT: This beautifully designed hardcover book is infinitely giftable to friends, family, partners, co-workers, students, or anyone who needs a gentle pick-me-up. 

Perfect for:

• People looking for resources on rest, creativity, and personal growth
• Anyone interested in digital detoxing and stress relief
• Thoughtful get-well, birthday, or friendship gift
• Fans of Wintering, Enchantment, Saving Time, and How to Do Nothing

Rachel Schwartzmann is a writer based in New York. She also writes and hosts Slow Stories—a project that explores living, working, and creating more intentionally in our digital age. Schwartzmann been featured in esteemed outlets, including Vogue and Condé Nast Traveler. Her essays and interviews have appeared in BOMB Magazine, Coveteur, Literary Hub, WePresent, and elsewhere. ︎Slowing is her first book.“The first half-sentence I fell in love with was ‘Worries attach themselves to mailbox keys,’ and everything that followed was a considered balm, though one that provoked such varied thought. The book holds awareness and secrets and a close attention, but more than anything, it is such a soft place to land.” —Ella Frances Sanders, New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of five books, including Lost in Translation and Everything, Beautiful“Rachel Schwartzmann brings a calm, deep, and intentional intelligence to the interviews she does for her project, Slow Stories. Her book is an ingeniously interlaced collection of personal essays, interviews, and creative prompts that hit like quiet firecrackers, and offers that same steadying feeling. Reading Slowing is the closest I’ve come to experiencing words as focused meditation.” —Brandon Stosuy, co-founder of The Creative Independent, editor of Sad Happens, and author of Make Time for Creativity, Stay Inspired, and How to Fail Successfully“In a day and age where ‘busy’ is a badge and productivity is paramount, Rachel Schwartzmann’s Slowing is an enchanting and soulful examination of what matters most: time, joy, creativity, and feelings. This is a beautiful book, filled with optimism and light.” —Debbie Millman, author of Why Design Matters and host of the podcast Design Matters“Both a reflective guide and a stirring meditation on time, connection, and pace, Slowing shares thoughtful prompts and stories that draw readers inward—to what captures their attention, to what ordinariness sustains them, and to creativity that’s been unfolding within their lives all along.” —Rainesford Stauffer, author of An Ordinary Age and All the Gold Stars“A thoughtful, introspective approach to writing, creating, and being aware of one’s own intentions. The accessible daily prompts will help both those who are feeling stuck and those who are looking to dive a level deeper into their work. Rachel Schwartzmann has created a new kind of map which can lead us closer to ourselves.” —Chelsea Hodson, author of Tonight I’m Someone Else