The Psychology of Slow Living: Rediscovering a Happier Pace of Life

This fascinating book explores the concept of slow living, offering a philosophical and psychological exploration of the need for a slower pace of life. It advocates for reclaiming and rediscovering more natural and human ways of being.

In a digital age, that is dominated by an increasingly tyrannical trinity of speed, efficiency and productivity, the author challenges the pernicious ideal of instant gratification, perpetuated by modern consumer culture. This book examines alternative ways of being through re-examining the Wisdom Traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism and Judaism through an ongoing and engaging dialogue with psychology and psychotherapy, including insights from environmental psychology, ecopsychology and cyberpsychology. The book argues against the trend for personal responsibility, adaptability and resilience, and the idea that stress is the ’new normal.’ Instead, it proposes a radical shift in paradigm, promoting not for collectively rising up and overthrowing this system, but for communally sitting down and reimagining.

Psychological Perspectives on Slow Living is a unique exploration of the benefits of the slow living movement and taps into contemporary debates around the way we should be living our lives, making it an ideal resource for students and academics in psychology, philosophy, and the social sciences, as well as individuals interested in alternative lifestyles and spirituality.

Dr Elliot Cohen is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, senior lecturer in Social Psychology and Interdisciplinary Psychology at Leeds Beckett University, and is the current Chair of the British Psychological Society’s Transpersonal Psychology Section. He has over twenty years’ experience in Hindu, Buddhist, Daoist contemplative traditions and is an authorised teacher of mindfulness meditation (Dhamma Nikethanaya Buddhist Academy). He has previously lectured in comparative religion at Manchester University and worked as a researcher for BBC Religion and Ethics.