Wiktionary
n. A social trend towards living a simpler, less ambitious life with a better work-life balance. vb. (present participle of downshift English)
Wikipedia
Downshifting is a social behavior or trend in which individuals live simpler lives to escape from what critics call the rat race of obsessive materialism and to reduce the “stress, overtime, and psychological expense that may accompany it”. It emphasizes finding an improved balance between leisure and work and focusing life goals on personal fulfilment and building relationships instead of the all-consuming pursuit of economic success. The term also refers to the act of reducing the gear of a motor vehicle while driving a manual transmission.
Downshifting, as a concept, shares many characteristics with simple living, but is distinguished, as an alternative form by its focus on moderate change and concentration on an individual comfort level, a gradual approach. In the 1990s this new form of simple living began appearing in the mainstream media and has continually grown in popularity among populations living in industrial societies, especially the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia.
Usage examples of "downshifting".
Harry driving through the confusion of Nashville and then, a couple of hours later, over the high pass at Monteagle, downshifting twice to get up the narrow, cliff-hugging road, and then waiting patiently behind a big semitrailer on the way down the other side.
There was no good reason for it, but the sound of distant trains and distant truck traffic, trucks downshifting to climb a hill, left him feeling moody.