Best Book on Slow Living for Busy Women Who Feel Guilty Resting

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase through them. I only recommend products I truly love and think you’ll vibe with, too. Check out our privacy policy and disclosure here.

Finding My Rhythm: How "Slow Living" Taught This Perpetual Rusher to Finally Pause

The best book on slow living I’ve ever read completely changed how I approach my days.

I’m 54, and I’ve been in a hurry for much of my life: rushing to and from numerous classes for various courses, hauling ass to the gym to either teach a group fitness class or to get my favorite piece of cardio equipment before “the crowd” arrived.

No matter the situation, for well over 30 years, I always felt like I was on the go and everywhere fast.

If you’re like me—someone who always wants to do better—slow living won’t kill your drive. It makes it stronger.

I’ll give you two small examples: when I practice my violin with intention, my intonation and overall musicality improves.

When I make time to sit with loved ones instead of squeezing them into my schedule, the connections and memories run deeper.

The last couple of years were brutal. I was overwhelmed and exhausted. Relationships seemed surface-level because I didn’t make time to nurture them.

That’s when I found Helena Woods’ book, Slow Living: The Secrets to Slowing Down and Noticing the Simple Joys Anywhere.

Honestly? I thought it was probably just another fluffy self-help book.

I hate to use this tired cliche; but boy, was I wrong.

What Slow Living Actually Means (It's Not What You Think)

Before reading Woods’ book, I thought slow living meant doing everything at a snail’s pace or giving up my goals.

I was wrong.

Woods defines slow living as being intentional with your time and attention rather than just reacting to whatever demands the loudest response.

It’s not about moving slowly. It’s about moving PURPOSEFULLY.

Woods explains that slow living means choosing what deserves your energy instead of scattering it everywhere.

She talks about creating space between your thoughts and actions so you can respond rather than just react.

The biggest revelation for me was that slow living doesn’t mean less productivity.

According to Woods, it means better productivity because you’re fully present for what you’re doing.

Instead of multitasking poorly, you do fewer things with complete focus.

Why This is the Best Book on Slow Living for Busy People

Here’s what surprised me about this book. Woods doesn’t act like slow living is easy or that you need to quit your job and live in the woods.

She knows most of us can’t do that. She knows we live in a world that rewards being busy and getting things done fast.

Woods starts by talking about why we feel like we have to rush all the time.

Society pushes us.

We push ourselves.

We’re scared we’ll miss something important.

Reading this book felt like talking to someone who actually understood what my days were like.

She doesn’t make you feel bad for being busy. She just helps you figure out how to breathe a little easier.

Woods organizes the book in a way that makes sense.

She starts by helping you understand why you feel rushed all the time, then gives you real strategies for slowing down, and finally shows you how to make these changes stick.

Each chapter builds on what you learned before. It feels doable instead of impossible.

Practical Ideas That Actually Work

What makes this book stand out is how practical Woods gets without asking you to change your entire life.

Instead of telling you to meditate for 20 minutes daily (who has time for that?), she introduces “micro-meditations”—tiny moments of calm you can squeeze into any schedule.

She also focuses heavily on creating rituals that help you shift between activities with more awareness.

Woods emphasizes patience and surrender as ways to move through your day without the constant mental crashing I used to experience going from task to task.

Her approach is rooted in connecting with your intuition rather than just bulldozing through your to-do list.

One simple technique has made a real difference in my daily routine.

Woods suggests taking a moment to breathe consciously before starting any new activity.

You take three deep breaths before you begin anything new.

Sounds too simple, right? But it works.

Now I pause before I have any interact with any person, place, or thing.

These tiny moments have become like little anchors in my day. They remind me to actually be there instead of just going through the motions.

Woods also addresses the guilt many of us feel about slowing down.

In our world, being busy means you’re important. So choosing to slow down can feel wrong somehow.

What resonated with me was her perspective that slowing down doesn’t mean becoming less effective.

She shows how being more intentional with your pace can actually improve your results, not hurt them.

How My Life Changed (In Small Ways)

Since I started doing what Woods suggests, things feel different. Not drastic changes, but real ones.

My mornings used to be unnecessarily rushed which kept me in a state of nervousness or the feeling of always having to do things quick, fast, and in a hurry.

Now I get up an hour earlier before work. Not to do more things, but to start my day with calm, intention, gratitude and prayer.

When I don’t have students in my classroom or am not in a meeting, I find small moments where I can breathe and be present with the activity I am engaged in rather than completing several tasks at a mediocre level.

Playing the violin taught me that the quiet spaces between notes matter just as much as the notes.

Turns out that’s true for life too.

Like Talking to a Friend

Woods has this warm, conversational tone that feels genuine.

She shares her own struggles with rushing through life, which made me feel less alone in my chaos.

Instead of demanding you overhaul everything immediately, she offers gentle invitations to try small changes.

What I love most is how forgiving the approach feels.

There’s no shame if you forget to pause or slip back into old patterns.

The book includes Woods’ own photography—elegant, calming images that she captured herself and wove throughout the pages.

These aren’t just decorative; they create this serene, coffee-table aesthetic that actually reinforces the slow living message.

I find myself returning to certain pages again and again—not because I missed something the first time, but because there’s something genuinely soothing about flipping through those beautiful photographs when I’m having one of those overwhelming days where slowing down feels impossible.

The whole book feels like a work of art that happens to contain wisdom, rather than a typical self-help manual.

This is Why This Matters Right Now

Our world never stops. Notifications of some sort constantly going off, emails always coming, always something to do.

Learning to slow down isn’t a luxury anymore. It’s survival.

This book shows you how to find calm moments without giving up your goals or your responsibilities.

Woods knows most of us can’t just quit everything and move to a cabin.

She shows you how to find peace right where you are.

This isn’t about getting lazy. It’s about being more thoughtful with your time.

If life feels like it’s flying by, if you always say “I don’t have time,” or if you can’t seem to just be present in your own life, this book can help.

Woods gives you tools to take back control of time and notice the good moments happening right now.

You will be surprised as to how much good has been right under your nose, within your sight, and under your fingertips all along.

You can find Slow Living: The Secrets to Slowing Down and Noticing the Simple Joys Anywhere here and start your own journey toward a calmer, more intentional way of living.

Getting good at slow living isn’t about being perfect. It’s about getting a little better each day. Sometimes the biggest changes start with something as simple as taking a deep breath.