Leisurely

Why I'm choosing to live a leisurely life (as someone who feels guilty for sitting still).

According to Google, the definition of leisurely is, “acting or done at leisure; unhurried or relaxed.”

To be honest with you, I don’t quite fit within this definition. I feel the need to hurry often, even when I really don’t have to. I’m a tapping-my-fingers kind of gal who feels immense guilt for sitting still. This obviously isn’t the best way to live, but it’s natural.

As a freelance writer and editor, I have complete freedom to use my time how I please. If I want to take a long morning and begin my day after lunch, I can totally do that. If I want to take the first half of the week to travel and commit to longer days at the end of the week to make up the time, I can totally do that too.

Having control over how I use my time is something I love about being a freelancer. Because of my job, I’m able to:

• Travel often to see the people I love

• Sleep in when my body needs rest

• Take my dog on frequent walks throughout the day

• Work from my favorite coffee shops

• Spend so much quality time with my husband (the best perk, really)

I would not trade what I do for anything. My flexible schedule is worth so much to me. But it doesn’t mean I don’t feel like a failure when I’m not working.

This is where the concept of “leisurely” came to me. I want to push back on the guilt of living a leisurely life and instead, embrace it.

One thing to note: Leisurely does NOT mean lazy. Lazy means being unwilling to work. Leisurely means not rushing.

Take this affirmation: I can live a leisurely life and still be wildly successful.

I actually find that moving at a relaxed pace increases success (and I’m not just talking about career success).

While it may seem counterintuitive, sometimes rushing isn’t always the most efficient or effective course of action. Oftentimes, when I am in a hurry, I easily lose grasp of what I am trying to accomplish; I am distracted, and the outcome of my work is overall worse.

When you aren’t rushing through your day/week/month/year:

• You can be more intentional with your time; how you spend it, and who you spend it with.

• You can take the time you need to pour into yourself and others.

• You have better focus and attention to detail and are less distracted throughout your day.

• You may feel more present and connected with yourself, those around you, and nature.

While living a leisurely life will look different for everyone, I urge you to encourage yourself to live less hurriedly and less distracted when you can.

This substack is for those who want to ENJOY life. We aren’t rushing. We are living. We are being intentional with our time. We are doing things the best version of ourselves would do.

You’ll love Leisurely if you love: being at home, comfort, coffee, good books, picking out a cute outfit, skin care, taking walks, having a morning routine, spending time with loved ones, and sunshine.

Let’s live a little more leisurely, shall we?

So, let me introduce myself…

My name is Lauren Barnhill and I am a freelance writer and editor. I have worked in the lifestyle media space for over three years with top outlets such as Real Simple, Martha Stewart, SUCCESS, and BuzzFeed.

I live in Texas with my sweet husband and a long-haired dachshund named Butter. I love coffee, thrifting, taking walks, spending time with my people, reading, decorating my cozy one-bedroom apartment, and, of course, writing.

This substack is my effort at living more leisurely so I can appreciate and give thanks to God for every single second of this beautiful life.

If you read this whole newsletter, thank you! I’d love to get to know you. Do we share any interests? Let me know in the comments!