Slowing: Discover Wonder, Beauty, and Creativity through Slow Living

by Rachel Schwartzmann

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

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Audiobook, Self Help, Psychology

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 17, 2024

Reviews

[Rachel Schwartzmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved writing—and reading—this book! I hope SLOWING speaks to all of you in some way. 💛

[Kayla Hollatz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm so glad I stumbled upon this essay collection on slowing down and living at a more sustained pace. The writings in part one were more impactful than the other two parts, but there were some interesting themes and prompts explored here. It could make for a great gift for a friend who's in the midst of burnout and wants to slowly reimagine their life.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow Stories podcast host Rachel Schwartzmann teaches us how to sloooooooooow down and live life at a gentler pace. With 52 essays, plus interviews and prompts, we learn how to do this by example and with ideas from other slow-living practitioners. Recommended!

[Anna Vardanyan · Rating 2 out of 5]

dnf’d 20% in - will maybe try this one again down the line, but not today

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was, perhaps, TOO gentle for me.

I think for me, the idea of slowing down still incorporates some aspect of activity. That the act of stepping away from screens or from ambition means that there is now SPACE for something else that is more meaningful for you, whether that's hobbies or relationships or what have you. The author instead advocates that now there's space for you to...do what? Journal very specifically? There are over 300 daily journal prompts, and I didn't have a desire to dive deeply into any of them.

And maybe that's because I've never been so profoundly burnt out that all I want to do is stare at the wall or at the sky, alone with my thoughts.

Or maybe that's because I am the type of person who'll get her fill of looking at the sky in the moments between. And that's enough for me.

[Meredith Westgate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slowing is the ideal book for these disconnected, frantic times, where our attention often feels pulled in a million directions. While reading, I often found myself sighing from the weight lifted of a feeling expressed so well. One of my favorites:

“What was once a part of my nature had become commmodified and desensitized. Creativity lived in places I no longer wanted to touch.”

Reading Slowing felt like tapping into a tender, thoughtful source, and a perspective that is often missing in today’s discourse. Its questions are fruitful starting off points for creating but also living a more intentional life amidst the noise. I’m so grateful this book exists.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to come back to this book during a different season when I feel like I can take time with all the prompts. For now, it was a great reminder to slow down. It makes me feel less alone, a lot of people feel this overwhelming sense of urgency and productivity that is hard to turn off and reprioritize rest, slowing down, and contemplation.

[Hannah Bonner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was having a hard weekend and craving some quiet - this book was such a gift. "Just because the light is gone doesn't mean you can't see what you need to."

[Brennan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slowing was recommended to me by a therapist recently.

I left this book feeling quite neutral. I've still got certain sentiments from it lingering in my mind, but by-and-large, the majority didn't stay.

Sections of the writing held what I can only describe as a Tumblr-poetic tone but it didn't speak to me honestly.

Much of what I consider when attempting to slow down stems from capitalism and other systems which I wish had warranted consideration.

The prompts, though I've not acted on them all, hold my interest though to varying degrees.

[c8e❈❃ ✶ ✧ ೃ༄ · Rating 3 out of 5]

really appreciated the weekly prompts associated with each chapter for reflection! i listened to the audio book but think this would be better as a physical book!

[Aglaé · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of a kind, poetic, genuine. Deeply moving maybe because I felt like I was reading my own story or the words I needed to hear at this time of my life. Rachel Schwartzmann's writing is delicate and sensitive, showing that life is neither good or bad. She strikes a beautiful balance here showing that poetry exists also in the harder moments of our lives, and definitely in the happy ones. There is some kind of melancoly coming out of the pages that makes it a very unique read. It has been my bed time book for weeks and I am eager to start it again soon to use this time the journal prompts offered by the author. I really loved it and can only recommend!

[Alyson Indrunas · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a lot to love about this book, and I was/am a fan of her podcast before I spent time with this memoir-meets-writing-guide. She has said on her podcast she wasn't sure where this book would end up on bookshelves, and as a former employee of an independent bookstore (Village Books), I would put it in 4 places.
Memoir.
Writing Guide.
Books That Make Great Gifts.
My Favorite Reads.

I will return to the writing prompts, and if I ever teach writing again (unlikely) I would assign this book along with the works about seasonal creativity, observation, and joy by Ella Sanders, Jacqueline Suskin, Ross Gay, and Katherine May. Nourishing authors in a time of scarcity.

I am a fast reader, so I intentionally read this one slowly to honor what she is teaching. If you know me, you know this was hard for me! So many books to read in this life!

I have many favorite quotes, but this one sat with me this week as I finished this glorious book that is just as beautiful to hold as it is to read:

"There is a fine line between feeling grounded by memories versus weighted down by them."

Yes.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

First: props to anyone who can write a book and get it published and put themselves out there. This book was not for me. I'm in a busy and non-creative time of my life. Listening to a childless, introverted, Millennial (I think) talk about having time to slow down was more annoying than relaxing. Since I listened to the audio version I let much of her random journaling babbling go right over my head.

[Margaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, I'd like to say thanks to the following:

-the author, Rachel Schwartzmann
-the publisher, Chronicle Books
- Goodreads

... for the huge opportunity of winning a beautiful hardcover copy of Slowing: Discover Wonder, Beauty, and Creativity through Slow Living. This wonderful book is full of anecdotes, prompts, motivational thoughts and creative inspiration while purposefully working towards a more present mindset. In slowing down your life, you can start to work on things like attention, sleep, and practicing joy. Self-care is important, and this book would make for a great gift for yourself or someone else as part of a care package. People who work a lot or spend a lot of their time caring for others will find a lot of encouragement and understanding within the pages. Each week's plan gives you plenty of changes to reflect on your experiences and thoughts in a deep way.

The book is of amazing quality, with a hardcover colored in lovely ombre pale yellow that blends into a very pretty blue. It has a lovely bookmark ribbon as well, which is always much loved. It feels well-bound and of good quality. The spine itself is really pretty, and will make for a lovely decoration piece as well as a book full of quality information that I will come back to again and again, as growth is a constant path. Thank you again for the pleasure of being able to read this book.

[Gwendoline Dct · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - "Despite the constant brewage of chaos, embracing slowness allows me to witness life moment by moment and write it sentence by sentence, sometimes though, the words don't fit".
This book sets out with an admirable aim: to create space for new ideas and offer practical ways to slow down in a world that relentlessly urges us to speed up. While the exercises didn’t quite resonate with me personally, I appreciated the core message and the quiet power of its conclusion—that slowing down enables us “to see things precisely as they are.” It’s a deceptively simple insight, but one that feels increasingly rare and necessary. Few books engage so directly and deliberately with this particular tension in modern life, and for that alone, it’s worth a thoughtful read.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is whimsical, relaxing, and wise. While I read the whole thing in a day, I loved the exercises and felt that a person could totally design an intentional/slow year of living challenge for themselves based on both the insights and challenges from this book. I definitely recommend for anyone who is stressed and burnt out like yours truly - lots of great ideas but also a lot of thoughtfulness and validation here.

[John McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't your typical self-help book on slow living. It's a thoughtful and nice collection of creatives reflecting on life moments, with a prompt offering for you to do the same if inclined. If you're into books on creativity but want something a bit more literary, this is for you.

[booksontherunway • Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me want to move through life like I have all the time in the world. Loved it.

[Maria]

Not the book that I was expected or wanted.

[Nicole Loher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much. It felt equal parts narrative and a how-to guide for anyone who is trying to slow down.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

Vacuous and cliched.

[Nicole McFarland]

I need to read more self help books for people with kids who don’t have all these luxuries. The book wasn’t for me, but it could be for others, so I’m not rating it.

[Ricky Catto]

LOL, i did read this a 3x speed but it was good

[Smosanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to slow down and like journaling, this is what you need. Lots of good examples and prompts. I’m sure I will open it often for inspiration

[Ana Clara]

dnf @ 20%

[Rachel | All the RAD Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

cracked this one open on a morning i was feeling a pull to nonfiction and a desire to fill the advent devotional gap (my deconstruction journey has me in a pretty checked out season from faith practices) — it fit the bill beautifully.

you could read this one slowly (…sorry) over a year, as it has prompts for a week of reflection after each of the 52 stories/essays, but i loved reading it straight through. it’s thoughtful and melodic, warm and inviting. i had to stop several times to copy stunning lines into my journal!