Started a new playthrough and with only minor exploration and no quests im at level 8+
Ive decided to restart but is there a good strategy to slow down leveling?

Focus on one skill only. My archer characters level only archery and max out at player level 17. I have a vamp skilled only in enchanting and uses only vampiric drain for offence. She's at player level 17 as well and wont level any higher. Played on novice they can survive without armor, though the vamp is very challenged with tougher melee opponents like deathlords. The archers are pretty badass with an unimproved, but strong bow combined with dwarven arrows. For instance, a drainspell bow & dwarven arrow combo delivers 168 damage with archery leveled to 100, archery perks, and novice difficulty damage doubler. Equip over-the-counter fortify archery items and that number gets even higher, as does it with fortify marksman potions. And added plus is the drainspell bow is light and relatively fast.

I do something similar. Except that I focus on three skills: one weapon, one armor, one miscellaneous. The miscellaneous skill depends on the character. It's usually a backup skill like Smithing or Sneaking.

Get SkyRe. You will never type those words again I promise

Get a follower. Let him or her do the bulk of the work during combat. Even if you still engage enemies your follower will still be doing roughly half the fighting, depriving your character of some combat or spell level-ups.

I'm doing similar, except that it's weapon+smithing (to improve that weapon) and no armor. Misc is Sneak or Enchanting, again for the extra attack. Enemies who are already dead don't attack you back.

Don't activate any of the three standing stones.

Maybe you can also avoid lock picking and selling to merchants. I remember both those skills advance pretty easily.

Im trying unarmed combat so that has gelped in exploring easy areas around riverwood. Takedowns have been satisying on bandits

Yeah, one offensive and one defensive skill is the best advice possible. Don't play the jack of all trades, choose 2-4 skills that your character is good at and try to stick to those and those alone as much as possible.