26 Mar , 14:36
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Millions of people around the world are increasingly embracing the philosophy of slow living — a conscious deceleration and rejection of the constant rat race. Scientists from Perm Polytechnic University (Russia) explained what lies behind this growing trend, why conventional rest no longer restores energy, and when slowing down truly brings benefits.
This was reported to gazeta.ru by the press office of the educational institution.
Modern people live in a mode of incessant overload: work tasks, an avalanche of information, social media, and messengers have virtually erased the boundary between work and rest. As a result, a condition is forming that researchers now call not merely professional but "civilizational burnout" — when the body loses its very ability to recover.
"It is precisely this total exhaustion that has given rise to the new trend of so-called slow living, which in 2026 is being chosen by an increasing number of people worldwide," said Konstantin Antipyev, Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology and Political Science at PNRPU, Candidate of Sociological Sciences.
The idea of slow living originated back in the 1980s as a protest against the culture of acceleration. Today it has penetrated the most diverse spheres — from nutrition to attitudes toward aging. As noted by Svetlana Dinburg, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Philosophy and Law at PNRPU, the key principle of this approach is shifting the focus from quantity to quality.
"Slowing down is a life with an emphasis on mindfulness, attention to detail. It is a form of resistance to the 'race' through refusing to participate in its rhythm," she explained.
Millennials and Gen Z have embraced this philosophy particularly actively. According to Antipyev, these generations have a fundamentally different attitude toward mental health and are not willing to sacrifice themselves for work. At the same time, slowing down for them is not an escape from technology but a rethinking of how it is used.
Paradoxically, even rest today often fails to provide recovery. People continue to consume information, switch between tasks, and strive for efficiency even in their free time. As a result, the brain does not switch into recovery mode but merely changes the type of load.
"The phenomenon of laziness is being actively reconsidered today. It is not a vice but an energy-saving mechanism, a desire to achieve results with minimal expenditure of resources," notes Svetlana Dinburg.
From a neurophysiological standpoint, periods of "doing nothing" are vitally necessary: during this time, the brain switches to internal information processing, forms new neural connections, and creates conditions for the emergence of unconventional solutions. This is precisely why important ideas often arise not in the heat of intense work but in moments of calm.
However, slowing down is not suitable for everyone or in every situation. According to Konstantin Antipyev, it is especially beneficial for people with high levels of anxiety, a tendency toward burnout, and residents of large cities. Yet in certain cases, it can have the opposite effect.
"This applies to people in an acute phase of depression or those who use slowing down as a way of escaping from problems. In such situations, it can intensify apathy and a sense of meaninglessness," he warned.
