✨ Choosing Ease Over Hustle
The phrase soft life began in the Nigerian influencer community as a quiet rebellion against constant struggle. It celebrates a life of ease, joy, and comfort — while limiting stress and rejecting the idea that our worth is tied only to how hard we work.
Popularized by Black women who chose to put their well-being first, the #softlife movement now inspires millions to choose themselves and create balance in a world that rewards hustle and exhaustion.
As therapist Attiya Awadallah explains:
“A ‘soft life’ is about choosing ease, joy, and alignment with your true self.”
It’s not about avoiding responsibilities or living extravagantly (though it can be luxurious if you want!) — it’s about intention, boundaries, and cultivating joy in ways that feel authentic to you.
🌿 What Does a Soft Life Look Like?
While social media may portray the soft life as champagne brunches, luxury vacations, and candlelit baths, at its heart it’s about small, meaningful decisions that respect your needs and restore your spirit:
— Saying no to what drains you.
— Making time for what delights you.
— Creating an environment that feels peaceful.
— Letting go of perfectionism.
— Setting boundaries without guilt.
As therapist Lauren Auer beautifully puts it:
“Living softly means making decisions that are rooted in what feels right for you, that respect your needs and align with your values.”
🌸 How to Begin Living Softly — Small Acts with Big Impact
You don’t need extravagance to live softly — you just need to notice yourself and choose joy where you can.
Here are some gentle ways to start claiming your soft life today — each one a moment to savor, and each one something you can eventually recommend to others:
🕯️ Light a candle as soon as you wake up, letting the scent set the tone for your morning.
🍵 Brew your favorite tea in your prettiest mug and sip it slowly — no screens, just you and your thoughts.
📖 Journal by hand, even if it’s just one line about what you’re grateful for.
🌿 Diffuse essential oils in the evening to signal to your body and mind that it’s time to unwind.
🌸 Buy yourself fresh flowers or a small plant to soften your space and bring nature inside.
🛋️ Wrap up in a soft throw blanket, put on soothing music, and just breathe.
📚 Pick up a nostalgic book that brings you comfort, and let yourself linger in its pages.
🛁 Take a long bath or shower with a few drops of calming oil and dim the lights.
🌟 Closing Thought
The soft life isn’t lazy — it’s revolutionary.
It’s about rejecting unnecessary struggle and redefining what success feels like — on your terms.
It’s a mindset of balance, self-awareness, intentionality, and joy.
So, what is one small choice you can make today to soften your life?
📌 Pin This for Later
You don’t have to move to Paris or book a spa weekend to live softly. You simply need to notice yourself — and choose joy where you can.
Because, as we say here at Claiming Life:
“You don’t need a new life — you just need to redefine the one you already have.”
Love Amanda
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