Slow Living Like My Italian Grandma

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the fast pace of life, or maybe you’re just curious to learn what slow living really means and looks like for other people?

I am sure you’re also asking yourself if it is really possible to live a slow life and still pay the bills.

Hi. I’m Alessia, the founder and writer behind Italy with an Italian. Today, I want to share my perspective on the slow living lifestyle, talk to you about slow living like my Italian grandma, and walk you through my own slow living journey.

If that resonates with you, go grab a cup of tea or your favorite drink, and let’s begin this friendly chat.

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What Is Slow Living?

While I don’t think a definition is needed here, my curiosity had me looking for one. I wasn’t surprised when I only found this one by Wikipedia:

“Slow living is a lifestyle that encourages a slower approach to aspects of everyday life, including completing tasks at a leisurely pace.”

Let’s unpack it together. 

The first part is fairly correct – a lifestyle that encourages a slower approach to life.

But the end is not, at least in my opinion – completing tasks at a leisurely pace.

Slow living is not about being lazy, which I know is a question that’s often asked around this topic. It’s actually the contrary. That statement makes it look like someone with a slow living lifestyle can go about their day doing nothing, or just very little. That’s not how slow living works. If that was the case, all those living a slow life would be trust fund babies and retired people.

Let me give you my own slow living definition, which sums up how I see slow living.

Slow living is the conscious decision to embrace a slower paced lifestyle, starting first and foremost with a mindset shift, and secondly with re-adjusting habits and priorities to make slow living part of one’s daily life.

PS: Feel free to use my definition, if it resonates with you, but please quote and reference this article and the undersigned. Thank you.

Like every important change and decision in life, slow living starts in the mind. There can be multiple reasons why it does, but I’d like to list a few for you to reflect upon.

• Your mind feels overwhelmed, because your life is too busy.
• You feel unhappy and unfulfilled, and realize that you are filling your time with activities and responsibilities that drain you rather than fill your cup.
• You are tired, and can’t keep up with the fast paced life you’ve built for yourself, so you start questioning whether that life really suits the person you’ve become and the person you want to be.
• Unfortunately, but very common, people often get sick and realize that slowing down is their only option to prioritize their health.
• Other people are just curious, and while learning about different lifestyles, they stumble upon slow living, start learning about it, and slowly embrace it.

While reason number five is becoming more common, I still think that most people fall into slow living out of need. Their mind or body, often both, demand that change. So they are forced into looking into a slow living lifestyle, readjusting life goals, careers, and their entire lifestyle.

So, which one is yours?

If you are curious about my slow living journey, I will share more about it later on in this post.

First, I’d like to mention that there is a group of people, like my Italian grandma, that has always lived a slow life because that’s the only life they have known.

It’s usually people from an older generation that were born away from the modern reality, perhaps in the countryside, without access to computers, and have managed to continue living a similar lifestyle throughout their lives. 

The same reality could apply to younger people who were born in a similar reality, perhaps a small town, perhaps in a farm in the middle of nowhere, brought up by parents that embraced that lifestyle, and never felt the need to try a different one.

That doesn’t mean these people didn’t go to school, travel, or come in contact with modern life. It’s just that the slow life suits them well, so as they grow and move through different stages of their life, slow life accompanies them without ever failing them. That’s really beautiful.

Slow Living Like My Italian Grandma

If you like the idea of moving to Italy, buying a small house in the countryside, being a housewife, reducing social activities, and just enjoying being a homebody, you’ll love coming behind the scenes of my Italian grandma’s life.

I will also sprinkle in certain aspects of Italian life that everyone can embrace, even if you are not a retiree or a childless housewife.

A typical day in Nonna Concetta’s Life

Her day always started early, around 6 a.m., even if she had nowhere to be. She would wash her face with water and castile soap, brush her teeth, and open the balcony door to let fresh morning air into her bedroom.

She then headed into the kitchen for her simple breakfast. First, she warmed the milk in a small pot on her old white gas stove. Then she poured it into her blue-and-white striped breakfast bowl and plunked about eight Colussi plain biscuits into the warm milk.

She sat at the table in silence, gently mashing the biscuits with her spoon. The warm milk softened them perfectly, making it a simple breakfast that gently got the digestion going. I often ate that same breakfast after sleeping at her house, and I can tell you it was a delicious one.

After finishing breakfast, she moved on to get ready for the day. Her typical outfit was a straight-leg skirt past her knees and a well-ironed T-shirt, paired with slippers. In summer, she preferred sleeveless floral wrap dresses, and in winter, warm tailored trousers with cozy layers on top.

Her aim was to feel comfortable and put together enough to step outside and speak to her neighbor, or go buy the bread from the local bakery, yet also practical enough to tend to her chickens, prepare multiple homemade meals, do the laundry, and carry out all her daily tasks without needing to change.

Before getting married and up until having her first child or two she was a seamstress, but she slowly shifted to being a full-on housewife, and the mother of four children.

While my grandma didn’t work I never saw her sitting idle, especially in the mornings. She was always busy cleaning, washing, and cooking. I can only imagine how her life might have felt much busier when her kids were still small, going to school, and living at home.

If you’re wondering whether my grandma went out at all, the answer is yes — though not necessarily every day. She might step out for a doctor’s appointment, to buy bread or other essentials in the neighborhood, to visit a nearby friend, or to run errands and visit family alongside my grandpa.

And then there were the days when she was hosting the entire family, or looking after little Alessia, or other grandchildren, or doing big tasks like butchering chickens, making bread for the entire month, cooking and preserving vegetables, and the like.

Those days felt busier, but I rarely saw her feeling overwhelmed or stressed. It could be that she was very good at hiding it, or had simply learned to embrace calmness no matter the situation.

Regardless of how hectic her day was, she always found time to have her breakfast, make a delicious lunch and dinner, and take at least two coffee breaks – one mid morning and one mid afternoon. 

When life was less busy for her, I would often find her watching TV in the afternoon, or attending to her roses in the morning.

Her bed time routine was fairly similar every day – shower, get her pajamas on, do a turn down service, and get tucked into bed fairly early.

To me this sounds like a very normal life, one that feels similar to mine; I am sure many of you might feel the same. However, if you live a very busy life, that type of day might sound completely opposite to yours. So let’s look at a few things that you can start doing to embrace a slower life, inspired by my Italian grandma.

7 Slow Living Habits I learned from my Italian Grandma

1. Create and nurture a slow living morning routine. 

I told you what it looked like for my grandma. Even if yours looks completely different, it’s the feeling that matters. 

How do you feel when you wake in the morning?

If you feel stressed or rushed, then that’s what needs to change. You can wake up earlier, prepare things in the evening, and give yourself enough time to do all you need to do at a slower pace. Get rid of anything that doesn’t serve you, and instead consider adding some positive activities like working out, or reading a positive quote to inspire your day.

Of course, there are more drastic things that can be done, like changing your job, and getting one with a shorter commute time, or one that lets you work from home and gives you back all that time lost in getting to your workplace. You could also try to go self-employed, but that’s easier said than done, especially if you have kids, and you need to keep paying your bills.

If you are a mum, ask yourself this question – am I sharing responsibilities with my partner equally, or are you putting them all on you? If you let him help you, that would free up some time to let your mornings start more slowly.

Of course, if you are a single parent, I get that it’s all on you. In that case, seeking more financial freedom is the only way to bring about a big change, but in the meantime you can still try to organize things in the evening, wake up earlier, and also teach your kids to be more independent from an early age. That helps you and them.

2. Set a few breaks throughout your day, and make those a daily habit.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a mid morning breakfast, or a mid afternoon walk. Of course, they can be as short as 10 minutes, if that’s all the time you’ve got. For most Italians, that looks like a coffee break.

3. Make time for breakfast, if that’s part of your diet.

I know many of you might practice intermittent fasting – I do that too. If you don’t, and if your digestion system thrives on having breakfast in the morning, turn that into a slow part of your day.

4. Make time for lunch, and enjoy it properly.

A lunch in front of your computer, or standing up in the corridor or outside your workplace, feels wrong to me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been there and done it myself. I know what that feels like, and how that’s often the only option you have with a 9-5 office job or when you’re in school. Yet, it can be done in a better way.

For kids who are in school, canteens offering a warm sit down meal is a better option, at least in my opinion. If that’s not an option, I urge you to teach your kids to make their meals a special moment in their day.

Tell them to find a quiet spot, sit down, preferably with a table in front or somewhere where they feel comfortable, and take the time to enjoy their food without rushing. Of course, they can do it in company, with their friends, but that’s different from eating while running or playing hide and seek.

For adults who work a 9 to 5 job, it can either look like finding a spot where you feel comfortable, away from the crowds, and can take the time to switch off and enjoy your food. Please sit down and make your experience as comfortable as possible.

Or you can find a cafe or small restaurant that offers healthy home cooked meal options, or something similar, at a fair price, and that’s not too busy. You can make that your routine, and save yourself the time and extra hassle to prepare your work lunch.

The same holds if you are out and about running errands, traveling, etc. Try to make time for lunch, especially if that suits your dietary needs. There might be people who prefer eating breakfast and dinner, or two meals in the afternoon. Ultimately, you know what’s best for you.

5. Make your dinner an important, non-negotiable routine.

Of course, routines sometimes need to be broken, especially if you have other plans that require so, but on a daily basis turning dinner time into a ritual is beneficial both for yourself and the entire family. Plan ahead, fill your fridge and pantry with good food you need to make your meals, so when the time comes to start cooking you don’t have to rush out of the house like a headless chicken.

Instead, you can slow down, and take the time to enjoy making your dinner, and then eating it, whether that’s alone with a glass of wine and a TV show on, or with your partner and children all sitting around a large dining table, sharing moments of your day.

6. Create and nurture the perfect nighttime routine.

Whether that includes taking a slower shower after you’ve put your kids to bed and cleaned the kitchen, or doing your skincare in peace, taking the time to read or watch a show, make sure your routine feels like one that gives your mind and body the chance to slow down. Don’t forget to get organized for the morning before you start your night routine.

7. Create calmness and slowness around you.

You can start with your mind, your relationships, your life decisions, the plans you make, and the content you consume. With time this can encompass bigger aspects of your life, like the type of home and neighborhood, or even the country you live in, as well as the type of work you do to pay the bills, save, and enjoy life.

I hope these tips inspire you to practice slow living, starting with small habits changes, and slowly moving onto bigger life changes. Of course, you decide how far you want to take it. Maybe, those slow living habits are all you need to feel more balanced, at peace, and happy with your current lifestyle. If so, I am glad I have shared them with you. 

And if you think you’ve heard these habits repeated multiple times by different people, you are not wrong. The question is have you started practicing any of them?

My Slow Living Journey

Now that I know what slow living means and what it looks like, although it can look differently for each one of us, I know that I was living a slow life from day one.

My slow living childhood

These are the factors that contributed to creating a slow living environment around me when I was a child:

1. I was born in Sicily, and you know Southern Italians are known for taking things more slowly.
   
   
2. My mum was a housewife, which meant that I grew up with slower routines than kids who had to be taken to their grandparents or a kindergarten while both their parents went to work. I lived in a relatively small and quiet neighborhood, away from the main city.
   
   
3. Even though I was the first grandchild, my paternal grandparents were already retired when I was born. That meant that I had more people around me living a slower life than those who weren’t.
   
   
4. We lived in a family apartment block over my grandparents’ home, along with another uncle and his family. We each had our separate apartment of course. If you are curious about it, I talk more about that in this article – Dolce Vita Home.
   
   
5. My dad has a slow work situation, the dream dolce vita job. He worked for his friend’s business, in the same office with him and a few other people. And while he worked in the city, he had a very flexible schedule.
   
   He started at 9, came back for lunch, and went back for about 3 to four hours, and then he was back home in time for dinner. That meant he could take me to school in the morning and come pick me up in time for lunch, at least for the first years of my life. 
   
   
6. I was born in a very traditional family, and while that had its negatives (strict rules, narrow mindedness, and a very small social life outside the family), it made slow living easier.
   
   
7. Going out and travelling wasn’t very popular around me. My parents seemed to be the exception. We went out to restaurants regularly, and traveled every Summer, but my other aunties and uncles didn’t do it as much, at least when I was very young.
   
   Thanks to that I got to see another side of life, especially since my mother’s family was quite the opposite – living a life that felt more social and slightly slower.

Exploring a busier life

As I grew up and started spending more and more time with my maternal grandparents, even on my own — I would spend entire Summer months living with my maternal grandma, I felt the need to explore that type of life.

My slow life started feeling too simple and boring, and I longed for the excitement of a busier life, going out and seeing new things all the time, rather than once in a while.

That became more evident when my parents’ lifestyle, and consequently mine, changed after my sister was born. Because of her health issues most of our time was spent either at home, at the doctor, or in hospitals.

Looking back, I can say that my teenage self wasn’t dreaming about a slow life, living in the countryside, or settling down with kids. Instead, I was imagining myself going to university, moving to a city, working in a fulfilling job, building a career, going out regularly, traveling, shopping, and enjoying a busier life.

I guess what you dream of, you believe in, you end up manifesting. Through the years I did end up with a similar lifestyle to the one I had dreamt of when I was in my teens. It wasn’t New York, and the glamorous apartment I was envisioning myself living in, but it was close enough.

I went to a big university, my family moved to a busier city, I started going out more, I got a boyfriend, I continued studying, I graduated, got my first job, started traveling with my partner, we got married, etc etc.

The busier phases of my life were these: when I was studying to get into University, the four years that followed up until graduating, and then the five years I worked a regular job – aka in an office, employed by someone else. In reality, I was working for the European Union, and later the government, but it still felt like working for someone.

Even during those busy years I still managed to make time for slow living. Whether it was waking up early to do a workout, have breakfast, and get ready for the day. That’s how I saw my dad do it every morning before going to his work, so to me that was the normal way to do it, as opposed to waking up 15 minutes before getting out the door and having to rush to get ready.

Whenever lunch time came I made sure to create a comfortable environment for me to have it, even if it was going up to the rooftop of my office building.

In the evenings, I made time for making dinner for me and my husband. And at the weekend I took time to enjoy a slower morning, reset the house, spend some time doing what I wanted, and having quality time with my partner and family.

Returning to slow living

When my health started deteriorating – allergies, fibromyalgia, a bulging disk, and other immune system issues, part of me knew that slow living was going to be the best lifestyle to keep all of that in check. Yet, the other part loved that busy lifestyle, the work responsibilities, the excitement of picking a new fancy outfit every day, etc.

Quickly, those little slow living moments became insufficient. I realized my body and mind needed more of that and less of the hassle. I felt I couldn’t take the hectic commuting, the busy work environment, especially since it didn’t feel like it was leading me to somewhere meaningful. At that point, I was working to earn money, like most people in a 9 to 5 job do, and I was no longer enjoying my work. 

Moreover, since I was a little kid, I always knew I was not meant to be bossed around. If you are that way, you will relate, and if you do but have never understood the reason, I suggest you look into your human design. All of that led me to start exploring self employment, different ways to make money from home, and so on. 

To cut a long story short, when my health issues progressed to the point that working became very difficult — mostly because of the long commute and having to sit at a desk for long hours, I was forced to embrace slow living. 

I focused the first part of that chapter on healing and nourishing my body, as well as learning new things that could help me work from home. 

Deep down that had been my dream for a very long time. I never wanted to be a housewife, but I was longing for the flexibility to work at my own time, be my own boss, but still bring value into the world, and earn an income. And that’s how I got here. I have been self-employed for over 5 years, and I am really happy and proud about my journey.

Now, slow living is the backbone of my life, but that doesn’t mean I only work a few hours a week, or that I don’t have a long list of tasks to accomplish every day. It simply means that I have curated an environment and lifestyle that values and nurtures calmness. I am still growing, achieving goals, and enjoying life, but I tried to do it in a way that feels balanced.

My slow living tips for you

If living a slower life is your dream, I hope my journey inspires yours.

As an introvert and very reserved person I don’t usually share this much, but I trust my experience might help others who need to read this.

As someone who has been on both sides, the side where you learn about others’ experiences and the side where you get to experience it yourself, I can tell you that most ol those cliche things you’ve heard are indeed true. 

• If you dream it, you can achieve it. 
• If you believe it, it will manifest. 
• You can do everything you set your mind to. 
• You are the only thing that’s stopping you (aka your mind is).

My best advice is to create a clear picture of the type of slow life you want, and at the same time understand what type of work makes you happy, set a few big goals, clarify your priorities, and start working on your mindset. Positive thinking, manifestation, as well as learning clear and tangible skills are your best way forward, at least when it comes to entering self employment.

I am not saying that only self employed people can live a slow life, but I think that’s when slow living becomes easier and starts to flow into every part of your day. I definitely think that’s also possible if you can find a teleworking job. I have had a lot of remote working experience with both my jobs, but I was never working fully from home.

I could go on and on, but this article has gotten too long. If this topic catches the interest of many people, I promise to write a part two, perhaps telling you more about my slow life, and what it looks like on a daily basis, and answering any questions you might have.

You can show your love for this post by giving it a heart, and sharing it with a friend.

And you can come ask me questions inside my newsletter, which I have already invited you to join (via one of the sign up boxes in this post).

In the meantime, I am going to leave you with a few related reads below.

More About The Italian Lifestyle

If you love the concept of slow living, I am pretty sure you might also be intrigued by the dolce vita lifestyle.

In that case, I invite you to read my dolce vita series:

15 Simple Dolce Vita Lifestyle Habits
Dolce Vita Home (part 1)

Sprinkled throughout those articles you’ll find little golden nuggets to help you create a slow living home and learn more about living life slowly, the Italian way.

If you love cooking, I suggest you try these recipes:

Fluffy Italian White Bread – Makes Loaves & Dinner Rolls
Southern Italian Chocolate Cookies
Italian Sausage Soup

Of course, spending hours in the kitchen is a once-in-a-while luxury. On a daily basis, we all need quicker recipes that are still delicious, help us slow down, and leave time for everything we want to do after dinner.

I share easy and quick recipes inside my weekly newsletter — Buona Settimana — along with wholesome Italian life chats, travel, and a touch of fashion. I invite you to join me (you’ll find signup boxes throughout this post).

A presto,
Alessia