Across social media and wellness culture – and probably even in your social circle – a noticeable shift is underway: many women are stepping away from the hustle, always-on-the-go mindset that defined their 20s and early 30s, and into a slower, more intentional phase of life.
After years of constant productivity, side hustles, and burnout, which was just intensified by the pandemic, there’s a growing appetite for routines that feel grounding, comfortable, and warm.
This evolution echoes movements like the Italian-themed slow living, quiet luxury, cottagecore, the Dutch cozy living movement called Hygge, and the recent return to hands-on “Granny hobbies,” from gardening and baking to needlework and tea rituals. Some are calling this their “soft era”, others see it as they “rich auntie eras” and for others it’s their “señora eras” – but at its core, it’s the same shift: a collective move toward living with more intention, stronger boundaries, and everyday rituals that prioritize personal peace using grounding home rituals.
For women navigating midlife transitions, mom duties, or “sandwich generation” caregiving demands – or for corporate bosses reevaluating what success looks like – these small, tactile pleasures offer a sense of calm, control, and continuity in a world that feels increasingly chaotic.
What makes this moment different is that slowing down was once considered “giving up”, but it’s now being seen more as a form of wisdom that we have inherited (but not used!) from the women in our family trees. Many women are rediscovering the kinds of habits their mothers, grandmothers and even great grandmothers practiced instinctively: tending to the home, keeping simple routines, caring for themselves through ritual. A slow life instead of a rushed life.
What’s more, these practices are not nostalgia for a made-up reality; they’re about sustainability, and emotional, physical, and mental health.
In a culture that once glorified doing more at all costs (no pain no gain, am I right?), this return to gentler rhythms feels quietly radical (and we actually wrote about it in our latest book). It’s a redefinition of wellness and the home that values longevity over intensity, presence over performance — and it’s shaping everything from how women structure their days to what they’re buying, wearing, cooking, and bringing into their homes.
What if you are stuck in go mode and want to try out this new style of life? Whether it’s your auntie era, your soft era or your señora life, here are 5 very simple ways we have incorporate them into our own lives – and seen wonderful, restful results.
1. Create Moments of Peace
Stop thinking about your day as though it is a marathon. Unless you are an astronaut or a race car driver, most deadlines people give you are made up. Keep that in mind as you create simple moments of rest throughout the day. Maybe you sit down with some tea in your patio, or you go for a walk around the block during your lunch break. Or after work, prepare your favorite pastry – and pick a recipe that takes at least 20 minutes and involves multiple steps and doesn’t come out of a box. It doesn’t have to be long either – you can take a 15 minute break, and it will feel just as good as taking a good nap. And guess what? It doesn’t require buying a $5,000 sauna.
2. Grab Something Cozy
Are your 15 year old sweatpants your cozy go-to favorites? Ditch them and treat yourself to a comfy and stylish modern pair. Do your pajamas have more holes in them than Swiss cheese? It’s time to get a sleepy time glow up and grab a few pairs that feel soft and slouchy but still elegant. It’s an easy way to fall right to sleep – and wake up in a better mood the next day.
3. Go Analog
When was the last time you picked up a physical copy of a magazine or a newspaper? Media is in trouble – people no longer consume news in one place. Social media, streaming, newsletters, podcasts, and Substack have splintered attention, making it harder for traditional media to hold readers for long.
But so are our brains, exposed to way too much information from our smartphones, and unhealthy screen time. Do something radical and unique (remember when you used to do this all the time?) and buy a subscription to your favorite local paper or national fashion magazine or grandpa’s favorite read, National Geographic magazine. Start listening to old vinyl records. Buy a comic book. Shock your system with something old school. There is nothing more soothing than flipping through those pages with a cup of coffee in hand.
4. Pick Up a Slow Hobby
For years, many of us quietly stopped having hobbies, replacing them with scrolling, side hustles, and the idea that every spare moment needed to be productive. In fact, research shows that classic leisure activities many in the older generations took for granted – like reading for pleasure or playing a sport – have declined over the past two decades, with daily reading rates in the U.S. dropping by more than 40 percent from 2003 to 2023, highlighting how less creative and hands-on pastimes have slipped out of many people’s daily routines. That’s a crime! But it’s easily solved by thinking back to something you have always loved doing. Is it painting? Crochet? Cricut projects? Research consistently shows that having a regular hobby lowers stress, improves mood, and supports long-term cognitive and emotional health – especially as we age.
5. Get Together With Friends
Recent U.S. data show that social isolation and loneliness are real and rising issues: about one in three adults report feeling lonely, and roughly one in four say they lack social and emotional support. And guess what – loneliness has been linked with higher risks of heart disease, stroke, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, and even premature death. I bet you didn’t know that. The best thing you can do right now is to call up your friends or neighbors, and schedule a fun dinner in your backyard.
At its heart, this shift in our culture is about permission to rest without guilt, to enjoy small pleasures without optimizing or monetizing them, and to build days that feel beautiful instead of stressful and negative. Whether you call it your soft era, your auntie era, or something else entirely, this way of living invites you to slow down just enough to notice what actually makes you feel good. And often, that starts with simple choices: surrounding yourself with comforting objects, making space for hobbies, lingering over meals, and prioritizing time with people you love. In a world that keeps speeding up, choosing a gentler rhythm may be one of the most powerful decisions you can make — and one that shapes not just how you live, but how you feel every single day.