When Enough is Enough Choosing Slow Living to Thrive.
written by Sherry Ellingson
I started my journey into slow living in June 2026.
Originally, I thought I would simply try it for the summer. But as I began thinking about school starting for my daughter—and all the planning, scheduling, driving, and balancing her life with my own—everything started to feel heavy.
So I made a decision: slow living wasn’t going to be just a summer experiment. It was something I wanted to continue.
Schools in the East Bay of San Francisco start early in August. And honestly, just thinking about it makes my shoulders hurt.
Does that sound silly?
Maybe for some. I carry a lot of my stress in my shoulders and my gut, and I imagine many of you can relate. Our bodies often tell us what our minds are trying to push through.
As August approached, I had a huge list of commitments—to my work, colleagues, cohorts, and, of course, my clients, my family.
But I also had a commitment that had become more important than ever:
My commitment to myself.
As the Leo and Pisces eclipses began, I started to recognize that familiar feeling creeping back in—the feeling of burnout.
If you've been reading my blogs, you may remember that I experienced burnout before. You can read more about that experience here: Coming Back from Burnout.
I made a promise to myself that I would not allow myself to get there again.
So what did I do?
I started cutting back.
I let go of some commitments. I rearranged others. And, honestly, some things simply didn't work out.
And while part of me felt disappointed about that, another part of me realized something important:
Maybe this is what slow living actually looks like.
It isn't about doing everything more slowly.
It's about doing less of what drains you and more of what truly matters.
It's about recognizing when your body is saying, enough.
It's about giving yourself permission to change your plans, disappoint people, say no, and make space for yourself—without seeing those choices as failures.
For me, slow living is becoming less about a season and more about a way of living.
And perhaps the biggest lesson I'm learning is this:
I don't want to build a life that I constantly need to recover from.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Feel free to reply back to me.
Sherry Ellingson
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