ABOUT

I’m an introvert with a natural preference for cosiness, small groups of people, meaningful conversations, harmony and quietness. I love tea, candles and comfy clothes. I try to keep life simple, own no more than I really need, enjoy the wonders of nature and look after our precious planet as good as I can. I can make puzzles all day, I sing in a classical choir, I make lists for everything and my favourite holiday involves a cottage in the mountains or countryside to spend quality time with my husband and teenage daughter and son.

It wasn’t until a burnout that I realised life was living me instead of the other way around. The fast pace of today’s world might energise some people, but it left me completely drained and overstimulated. I started thinking about what I really wanted to do with my life. I quit my fulltime management job in 2014 to take some time off and discover what I wanted to do. Turned out there really wasn’t a quick answer to that question.

Over the years, I’ve slowly started to find pieces of the puzzle: I wanted to spend more time creating, to help others to thrive, to focus on small and simple, to build one-on-one relationships, to be part of a group of like-minded souls, to surround myself with positivity, beauty and gratitude.

Somewhere along my journey I learned about the concept of slow living and it immediately struck a chord. It’s not so much something I’m good at, but something I long for and deem important. And even though I’m Dutch, I found out that the English way of slow living really resonated: the colourful language, the beautiful nature, the traditions, the seasonality, the cosy cottages, and not in the least the wonderful like-minded people I’ve met.

As I was navigating all the inspiring content I found on the subject, I was so happy to discover that there are so many people out there that acknowledge that we need to redefine our definition of success. That we need to make time for the things that matter most to us in order to live more fulfilling lives.

Finding all this content about slow living also made me feel quite overwhelmed. It seemed a matter of luck if I’d find an inspiring coach, a talented maker or a beautiful place with similar values as my own. I’ve found that there are so many like-minded businesses out there, but they are scattered over the internet.

So, I wondered: what if I’d create a place where they could come together and make it easier for them to connect with their people? A platform that would become the place to be if you wanted to be inspired on slow living? A positive force in spreading this slow living ethos and meanwhile support women that run their own small independent business?

And so, The Slow Living Guide was born. I’d like to think of it as a meeting place for those who are looking for and those who are offering inspiration on slow living. All the content of this website is meant to guide you towards living a slow, simple, soulful and sustainable life, whatever that looks like to you.

The Slow Living Guide is a carefully curated directory of brands and inspiring resources to help you live a slow, simple, soulful and sustainable life.

JOIN

If you have a small ethical business and would like a free listing in the directory, read more on how to join our wonderful line-up of like-minded entrepreneurs.

There isn’t one universal definition of the concept of slow living, but somehow one intuitively has a notion of what it means. It’s living intentional and being mindful of what you’re doing and why.

Learn more about the concept, art and ethos of slow living with tips on how to embrace it in different areas of your life: home – food – clothing – community – nature – mindset – travel.