Slow Living in Practice: Digital Detox, Chickens, and Creating a Personal Curriculum

Blessings, beautiful souls –

I was inspired to write this morning as a result of this photo that showed up on my Pinterest home feed:

As I continue to actively stay off of social media, going so far as to sign out of Facebook and Instagram on the web as well (so I can’t even view what people send me), I am intentionally trying to change my life in a way where I reach for a journal other than a phone. There is no reason to reach for my phone; I don’t need to open Pinterest, I don’t need to open the web, I don’t need to check my emails. But I was reading that this is actually a dopamine neurological response that has been created by social media apps. There is nothing surprising about this – tools created to divide and to spread fear will be manipulated in a way that amplifies addiction.

The idea to reach for a journal instead of my phone came from my love of journaling (something I haven’t made enough time for in over a year, and with an abundance of journals at my disposal, needs no excuse) and the YouTube movement around having a “catch all” to battle brain rot, screentime, and amplify disconnect from digital spaces. And, yes, I did have a lot to say about the commercialization of the Analog movement, but only because people were forgetting to fall into and live it and were so hyper-focused on what needed to be purchased to do it well (spoiler alert: nothing).

I have more to distract me away from my phone, these days: chickens. We got four beautiful little ladies, and a new passion has been unlocked for my son and I (he is obsessed with his chickens). My girls are beautiful; their names are Chickalita (chosen by R), Moira (me), Bacon (my husband), and Muffin (chosen for N). They fit their names already and, in just under a week, have begun to respond to my calls. No eggs yet, but that will take some time (and with my son endlessly picking them up, perhaps the eggs will never come — but at least he’s happy).

I mention chickens because they are a continuous reminder of the importance of living in the present. They are hyper-aware of their surroundings and take life moment-by-moment. They are far smarter than people give them credit for, and are opportunists because of the fact that they live so intently within the present.

Taking care of them doesn’t feel like a chore to me (yet? I am realistic, at least) because it forces me into a moment of slow. It brings me outside; my phone and a screen (including this laptop) play no part in the practice. I am keeping them alive but also grounding myself in the process. I love to wake them up and put them to sleep, doing a headcount and making sure everyone is in for the night. I love to observe their behaviours and personalities and write about them. I love how they only come running to me if I bring them a treat – but I don’t take it personally. I am excited to learn what my chicken name is, over time (though I think R’s might be, “RUN!” in chicken). I love knowing these little hens pull me out of my comfortable little life in my house and down on their level, getting my hands (and boots) dirty, showing me what it means to be one with the earth, to care for creatures of Gaia.

Along with expanding my knowledge about chicken-keeping (though I am not sure how many more books I can read) and being diligent about my journal keeping on my little ladies, I do wish to pull myself further out of the world of a screen and onto pages and paper. I want to be intentional about it, too.

There is something showing up on my YouTube about a “personal curriculum” – where you create a syllabus of learning for yourself on whatever topic calls to you. I am still working through how I want to navigate this and where I want to hone my focus. I don’t want it to feel like work, but I do want it to encourage learning – and disconnect from any relationship I have with my phone. I need to tailor it around my own time as a mother of two (and now four chickens), who also has a career (spiritual work + writing). I want this to feel like a joyful practice in my “me time,” and so, it will take a little bit of planning

One thing I am pulled to, as of late, are home improvement projects. I bought my husband some professional tools for his 40th birthday and with it, a passion for working with his hands has emerged. He does not have hobbies, and this is quickly becoming one. In addition, it gives him a sense of pride and fulfillment which is beautiful to see. It has inspired me to find projects for him, as well as projects I can help him with. We are continuously working to make this home uniquely ours. Perhaps a little bit more learning in that domain could become of a part of my personal curriculum.

Other things I wish to learn more about are:
– the health benefits of solitude
– the health benefits of disconnection/screen-free living and people’s experiences about them
– homesteading
– improving my consistency and journaling practice
– understanding nature better and how to connect with it in a way that feels comfortable and familiar to me
– Japanese culture and Japanese films (more Ghibli)

Life is quieter lately, in the best of ways. It’s not less busy, I’ve just silenced a lot of the noise and made space for a lot of what matters – or what I want to matter. Slow living, I am learning, doesn’t need to resemble anything we’ve been shown or sold. It isn’t aesthetic, curated, or measured by how closely we follow someone else’s version of a quiet life. It is simply mindful living; an awareness of where our time, energy, and attention are going, and a gentle choosing of what truly matters.

Whether it looks like journaling at a kitchen table, tending to chickens in muddy boots, learning something new in the margins of a busy day, or sitting in stillness for a few sacred minutes… it all counts. It all belongs. Because slow living is not something we perform; it is something we return to, again and again, in the small, intentional ways we choose to live our lives.

And this is how I am choosing to live my life.

If you wish to support my work further, have a look at all my books and journals, available here. My newest book,  Mothering in the Mountains – reflections on slow living, spiritual motherhood, and finding soul serenity in the French Alps,  is available now! If you want to work with me as a spiritual healer, check out my services through Seeking Celestial Grace and Awakened Little Souls.

xx C