The camel knits, nondescript white shirts and logo-stripped bags lining our wardrobes declare that we have lived through the season of quiet luxury. While the 6:30pm email cut-offs and taking a full lunch break are remnants of the season of quiet quitting. In an increasingly loud world, that pushes us to work harder, move faster, be more of something or be better than someone else; it’s no surprise that our interest is well and truly piqued by anything ‘quiet’ sounding.
For me, there can only be one thing coming up next in the quiet of it all, and that is a Quiet Revolution.
A slow living movement where we slow down for long enough to remember what it means to be human. Sounds sufficiently lofty but we can totally wear our understated camel knits to said revolution. We’re used to revolutions being loud, attention-stealing, cardboard-box -sign-having affairs. They can be, but we’re all a bit tired, aren’t we? Life feels pretty overwhelming right now and most of us are feeling the impact of it. I truly believe that we’re the generation that can lead a revolution, but how we do that might need a Princess Diaries-esque makeover, because we’re just too bloody tired.
So, let’s get quiet instead. While we try to stay afloat in a sea of fast fashion, fast food, and fast everything, what if we shift perspectives into a way of living that isn’t about being the ‘best ever’ but simply allows us to better respond to life’s madness? Something that’s a bit low-key that we can all do with the very little time we have.
Aren’t we tired of morning routines so long and comprehensive that they take an entire day to complete? Aren’t we tired of desperately needing to rest but feeling guilty when we do?
I’ve received DM’s from people who were told the way to be well was through a yoga class or some manifesting course but they couldn’t afford it. Ones from people who always felt left out of wellbeing spaces because they never saw any faces who looked like theirs. I knew there had to be another way.
After listening to my community I’ve worked with for the last 5 years, and taking notes on how I live in my own life. I sat down and wrote something called, The Philosophy of Doing Less, Being Present, and Feeling More, a manifesto of sorts. Instead of endless rules and steps to follow I wanted to focus on perspectives and I came up with four of them. If you haven’t seen the word ‘quiet’ enough already, then buckle up pals.
My Philosophy of Doing Less, Being Present, and Feeling More
First up in the manifesto is Quiet Joy. This may well be a symptom of being an only child, but I wake up each morning and pretend that I’m a tourist on Earth. When we act like it’s the first day we’ve arrived here, we can find more meaning in everyday experiences and notice the small stuff that brings us such joy, even during the tough stuff. It’s pausing to look up at the clouds and look down to befriend your local pigeon (who are in desperate need of some good PR).
The very things that we attempt to do to make us feel a bit better, have no business making us feel worse, so centering, Quiet Healing is up next. This is inner work and being in community, where the focus isn’t on perfection or getting it ‘right’. We don’t feel guilty if we didn’t repeat an affirmation 555 times because someone on Instagram told us to. It’s where we accept that growing can be messy as hell and doing a meditation for 3 minutes in your black bra that you still haven’t washed yet, is still important.
Then we have, Quiet Rebellion, because it’s all too easy to blame ourselves instead of addressing systemic issues, and not everything is a ‘you’ problem. This is where we unlearn cultural norms and social expectations. It’s challenging hustle culture, questioning all the things that get in the way of us feeling free and not equating busyness to success.
And bit by bit, it creates a Quiet Revolution that can be the antidote to distracted and disconnected living. We remember that we’re not here to do life alone and just how lucky we are that we get to live on a planet where parrots talk and there’s an underground network of fungi beneath our feet. It’s a way of living that lets us find a little room to breathe easier and works alongside hectic routines and binge-watching Married at First Sight. Because, all of us might not be able to do the 5* wellness retreat in Portugal, but we can treat the next Tesco shop like a field trip of curiosity, wonder and adventure. Quietly might just do it.
Giselle is an author, speaker and slow-living advocate and frequently runs talks and workshops on Slow Living and what it means to be human in today’s world.
For future events and writings visit: https://gisellelpm.com/