Rooted in the desire for ease, balance, and emotional peace, the soft life is a lifestyle movement that prioritises joy over grind, self-worth over productivity, and intentional living over overworking. It’s about choosing pleasure, leisure, and boundaries—not out of laziness, but as an act of self-preservation.
While the idea of slowing down and choosing ease over exhaustion isn’t new, the term Soft Life as we know it today was popularized online by Nigerian women around 2021. It gained traction on social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter, where women began sharing content that celebrated emotional peace, financial freedom, and choosing pleasure without apology.
Since then, the soft life has resonated deeply across the diaspora, especially among Black and brown women from cultures that often glorify self-sacrifice and constant productivity. “Soft” doesn’t mean fragile. It means refusing to wear struggle as a badge of honor.
In the Arab world, the term is being embraced by a growing number of women who are questioning what success and worthiness really mean. For some, it’s lighting incense before journaling. For others, it’s leaving a high-stress job for something slower—but more fulfilling. Think candle-lit baths after a long workday, skipping a draining social event without guilt, or choosing a creative career path that feeds your soul—even if it’s not the most ‘impressive’ on paper.
Of course, the soft life isn’t always accessible. For many, financial pressures, family responsibilities, or unstable work environments make it feel more aspirational than achievable. But that’s where its deeper message lies: even in small ways, you can choose softness. Whether it’s saying no without explanation or taking a walk without your phone, the point is to centre yourself again.
Critics argue the soft life is just a rebrand of luxury lifestyle marketing, full of privilege and aesthetic curation. And yes, it can be. But at its heart, it’s a…
