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Gandhi once said, "There is more to life than increasing its speed."

The expectations of work, family and other people, and self-imposed deadlines, cause us to rush around at the expense of our emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing.

The Slow Living philosophy has been gaining increasing support all around the world. It encourages us to resist the demands of a frenetic lifestyle where we become so preoccupied with what we should be doing that we miss the essence of life right in front of us.

Carl Honore, who wrote the book In Praise of Slowness, says that Slow Living is not about slowing life down to a snail's pace. It is about "living deliberately" rather than "sailing through life on automatic pilot."

However, the most immediately soothing strategies seem to involve at least one of the five senses; Seeing, Hearing, Tasting, Smelling, and Touching.

The following approaches can help to incorporate Slow Living into your daily life:

• Resist the urge to hurry for the sake of it. Ask yourself why you are rushing

• Learn to prioritise what needs to done urgently and what can wait a little longer

• Be realistic about the timeframe needed to complete a task to avoid unnecessary stress and a disappointing result

• Make space in your weekly schedule for free time (being alone, pursuing a hobby, visiting friends, enjoying family time)

• Turn off technology or remove yourself from it for a set period of time

• Practice mindfulness to increase your experience and awareness of simple activities that utilise any of the five senses e.g. the smell of rain, the sound of the sea, the taste of food, the feel of the breeze, watching your pet

• Reframe things that normally would frustrate you. e.g. waiting in a queue can become an opportunity to strike up a conversation, read something or daydream

• Focus on your breathing for a moment and consciously slow and deepen it

• Be patient with yourself and keep practising slowing down. In time you will notice a deeper sense of contentment, improved relationships, and a renewed energy and enthusiasm for life.