Slow down, let yourself breathe

Jackee Holder shows how taking your time while writing helps you cultivate presence, reflection, and a more mindful connection.

- With Jackee Holder

As we speeded towards the end of the year, I felt spent. My body wouldn't lie: a quiet tremor behind the eyes, a slight twitch in my lip, small signals and clues. I needed rest. And just as nature slows in winter, perhaps we are meant to slow down too.

Rest invites reflection. One morning I reached for a book I’ve had for several years — Slow Writing by Louise DeSalvo. The title alone felt like a nod from the universe. How could I, someone who makes a life through words, embrace a slower rhythm, especially when feeling so frayed? To begin this new year, I invite you to explore with me how slow writing can become both an inner practice and an outer rhythm, a way to reconnect with ourselves through words.

Whenever I begin working on a column, the universe seems to listen in, sending cues that align with my theme. This month was no different. The more I thought about slow writing, the more I found myself slowing down in other areas of life too. I took my time savouring a cup of tea brewed in a teapot. I walked slowly down the high street, lingering in charity shops. I paused to admire the morning light spilling through the bedroom window before getting out of bed.

I realised that slow writing, like slow living, is about presence. It’s the quiet act of paying full attention, of listening for what wants to be witnessed and acknowledged with the whole body first. It’s taking our time rather than forcing words to appear. And perhaps it's not only a writing practice, but a way of righting what isn’t working.

Journalling, when done slowly and with intention, can be a mindful way back home to ourselves. It helps us pause, breathe, and notice what we might otherwise miss in our busyness. I've found it both calming and centring, especially at those points in the year when exhaustion sets in. So, if you’re ready, grab your notebook, pen, and a comforting drink and let’s step into the world of slow writing together.