Are you craving a slower-paced homestead life, but don’t know where to start? Life just seems to go faster by the day, leaving many people wanting more.
While you don’t have to live the homestead life to slow down, it certainly helps to change your mindset.
Transitioning from fast-paced living to a slower homestead life is certainly achievable without being drastic.
Table of Contents
- Our Story
- More Articles You’ll Love
- Making Changes
- Choose Your Activities
- Choosing Animals or Plants
- Having A More Present Mindset
- Down Sizing To Achieve Your Slow-Paced Goals
- Learning DIY Skills
- Taking a Digital Vacation
- Helpful Tips
- Transitioning from fast-paced living to a slower homestead life FAQs
- Final Thoughts On Transitioning From Fast-paced Living to A Slower Homestead Life
- More From The Farm
Our Story
We haven’t always been homesteaders. We lived in town at the beginning of our marriage. Craving a slower life and more land is what initially drew us into the lifestyle.
However, it wasn’t and still isn’t easy.
While living in town, we always had a small garden. We knew we wanted more, but we weren’t quite sure how to get there.
My family still lived in a very rural area, so we toyed with the thought of moving near them.
After a lot of thought and prayer, we decided to put our house on the market by owner. We thought, “If it sells, we’ll know it’s our time to move”.
Wouldn’t you know it sold for our full asking price within two weeks. We really didn’t know where to go from there.
So we moved into a tiny mobile home on my family’s property and started making plans to build our own home and homestead.
I would love to say it all just fell into place, but it didn’t. Read more about my homesteading mistakes.
Because we moved out of our school system, I had to change careers and become a high school teacher in order to enroll our kids in a neighboring school.
I was also staying home, so going back to work was a big change. It seemed like our slower-paced plan just wasn’t working out.
Until we figured out that there was more to homesteading than just moving to the farm, it’s a lifestyle switch more than anything.
If you’re thinking about making the transition. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind.
More Articles You’ll Love
Making Changes
Change is hard for all of us. Especially when it comes to the conveniences of life.
However, if you want to change the way you live, it’s just part of the equation. The first step in slowing down is to be aware of what it is you want to change.
Do you want to change your commitments, your job, or the way you do things in general? Do you want to slow down in the evenings and spend time with your family?
Would you like to change where you live to get the life you’re after?
For us, moving out of town brought a lot of change. For example, we couldn’t just run to the grocery store or go out to eat without driving a long distance. This meant big changes in meal planning.
Little did I know that a simple change would turn into something much greater.
You can’t make all the changes at once, it’s going to take time. But knowing what it is you’d like to change gets you pointed in the right direction.
Choose Your Activities
After you’ve narrowed down the parts of your life you’d like to change. Take inventory of all the things you’re involved in.
Look at any extra work assignments you willingly pick up. Look at the activities your kids are involved in.
Maybe you’re really involved in your community or church.
Being involved isn’t necessarily a bad thing, unless it’s keeping you from the life you want to be living.
If your kids are involved in a lot of different after-school activities, ask them which ones they truly enjoy, and which ones they do just because. I think you’ll be surprised at their answers.
Look at the things you’re involved in. Are they serving you well? Sometimes it’s hard to let go because we don’t want to let others down.
However, in order to live a slower-paced life, you have to declutter. It’s hard in the beginning, but you’ll feel so much better overall.
Choosing Animals or Plants
When you are considering a homestead life, chances are you want to become more self-sufficient by growing your own food or raising your own animals.
You should really think hard about the commitments you make on your farm, especially if you are working full time off the homestead.
Some animals require more of a commitment than others. Really, do your research about the farm animals that will serve your family the most.
I suggest starting with a few laying hens. You can easily have them in a small backyard if you don’t live on property. Check out these animals that are great for a small farm.
A raised garden is also great and manageable for beginners. This will give you an idea of the time commitment you’re looking at.
It’s also important to know that raising animals and maintaining a garden are great ways to slow down. You simply can’t pick up and leave whenever you want, leaving them to fend for themselves. Learn more about how to go on vacation when you have a farm.
For us, animals made the biggest change in our lifestyle. They are what keep us at home more while making us question our outside commitments.
Having A More Present Mindset
Instead of constantly jumping from one thing to the next, try to have a more present mindset. Instead of thinking about what’s coming, be more present in the moment.
I’ll admit this is very hard to do, especially if you have kids and schedules ot maintain.
Even if you’re at a sporting event or traveling in the car from one location to another, be in the moment. Have a conversation. Listen to what’s being said to you. Don’t live in your head, and take in the world around you.
For me, this makes a big impact on how fast I think my life is going.
Down Sizing To Achieve Your Slow-Paced Goals
In order to live a slower homestead life, you may need to downsize your current life. You can’t slow down if you are carrying a lot of debt and commitments.
A smaller home with a lower mortgage could help you work less. You may not need a new car, and instead drive a used car without a payment.
Take a hard look at your finances and get rid of the things you don’t absolutely need. While it seems like a daunting task, it will give you more time at home and less time working.
This also goes for farm equipment and things you need to run your homestead. I suggest involving the bank as little as possible.
Buy second-hand and make do with what you have.
Learning DIY Skills
Learning DIY skills goes right along with downsizing and looking at your finances. If you’re able to build or fix things yourself, you will save money in the long run.
It doesn’t take long into your homesteading journey to realize that you are forever needing to mend a fence, fix a broken wheel, repair a shelter, or generally keep up with land maintenance.
These little things will add up very quickly if you don’t have the skills needed to maintain them.
Learning how to do DIY projects is essential to keeping up a homestead. YouTube will become your best friend.
If you just give things a try, I think you’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish on your own.
Also, not having the financial investment will help you work less and maintain a simpler life. It will also teach you to save and make do with what you have, which is the key to living with less.
Taking a Digital Vacation
If you want to live simply and slow down more, try letting go of your device for a while.
Our brains weren’t meant to process all the information that’s thrown at us every day.
When your brain is constantly processing information, it can feel like the world is moving at warp speed.
Try taking a digital vacation. Look around and take in everything in the moment.
Get rid of the clutter that your device can cause. There are so many apps that make you feel like you aren’t enough, or that you need to be doing more.
A slower homestead life is just realizing that you are capable and you have what you need right at home. Embrace that for a few days, and you’re sure to feel calmer and less stressed.
Helpful Tips
Don’t go all in
While you’ll see many homestead blogs telling you they sold everything and went all in, that honestly isn’t the norm.
It’s also a quick way to burn out both financially and mentally. Go slow, and grow organically.
Homesteading is full-time every single day. And while this can create a slower pace, it can also stress you out if you’re not ready.
It’s never too late to start.
You can start homesteading at any age. However, if you’re older, be aware of your limitations before getting started. You want homesteading to help you live a slower-paced and healthier life, not sustain an injury while doing it.
Appreciate the journey
Don’t expect things to happen overnight. Skills are learned over time. Some of my greatest satisfaction in homesteading comes from mastering a skill I didn’t know.
The best way to transition into a slower-paced life is to live in the moment and enjoy each day. You aren’t going ot change anything about your life if you continue to constantly worry about the next thing or what’s to come.
Try to enjoy each day and what it brings.
Do not get ahead of yourself
Master skills one at a time. Take the time to really learn what you’re doing before moving on to something new.
For example, if you want to incorporate sourdough bread into your weekly routine, master it before trying to incorporate other things. This way, you won’t get overwhelmed learning too many skills at a time.
Transitioning from fast-paced living to a slower homestead life FAQs
What does it really mean to “slow down” on a homestead?
Slowing down doesn’t mean doing less, it means doing things with more presence and purpose. It’s trading constant multitasking for focused effort, and speed for sustainability.
What are some realistic expectations for the first year of homesteading?
Expect lots of learning, plenty of messes, and a few hard lessons. Progress may feel slow at times, but the rewards are long lasting.
Will I feel bored or isolated living a slower-paced life?
It’s possible, especially if you’re used to constant stimulation, but most people eventually find peace, creativity, and connection in the stillness.
How can I stay motivated without the constant rush of my old lifestyle?
Your new motivation may be more internal in your values, health, and goals. It helps to set small intentions and celebrate every win.
Final Thoughts On Transitioning From Fast-paced Living to A Slower Homestead Life
Transitioning from a fast-paced lifestyle to a slower-paced life on the homestead might feel impossible at first, but it’s not. You just need to give yourself a little time and grace to adjust.
The key is to start by getting clear on your priorities. What really matters to you? What do you want your days to feel like?
Once you know that, it’s all about changing how you think. Instead of racing through life, you’ll be learning to slow down and enjoy the simple things, like fresh air, quiet mornings, and the satisfaction of growing your own food.
With the right mindset and a little patience, you’ll be surprised how peaceful and rewarding this new way of living can be.
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More From The Farm
These homesteading books will help you get started on your homesteading journey! You’re in for a wild ride filled with dirt, sweat, and the most satisfying sense of accomplishment you’ll ever feel. Books are full of wisdom that can guide you through everything from raising chickens to preserving your harvest. I’ve rounded up ten of the best homesteading books out there to get you started.
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