The problem is you can only slow down if everyone else does too, unless you're willing to step down in "class" which a lot of people have trouble with.
That's a myth propagated by people with a stake in the pie. Nature shows us that you only need to be hyper-efficient and in a constant arms race if you're competing for the same resources.
Otherwise, you can adopt an opportunistic survival strategy that trades efficiency for variety and a diversity of useable resources.
Of course, efficiency is the only option when there are companies trying to grab all the resources available, as in our current business setting. But that's definitely not a healthy environment.