By now, I’m sure you have familiarised yourself with the phenomenon known as – living a soft life. It means rejecting the hustle culture and living a life free of any struggles and mental exhaustion. When I first came across the soft life movement, my first reaction was – sign me up! As a self-proclaimed workaholic, I’ve recently been on the prowl for something more, something that encourages me to prioritise self-care. For years, I was a proud ambassador of the hectic work life, wearing my badge of “Every day I’m hustling!” with honour.
But nearing the dreaded dirty thirty made me slow down and reevaluate my values too. I finally started to realize the meaning of the phrase that health truly is wealth. Nevertheless, I’m still a girl with a goal. And I couldn’t grasp how I could achieve my professional, personal, and creative goals, and still live a soft life. Also, could I really afford it?
Take a look at the thousands of videos under the #softlife on Instagram, and you’re opening Pandora’s box of women with a jet-setting lifestyle, getting tanned on the beach. When they’re not travelling, they’re enjoying life to the fullest (or so it seems) with delectable food, but not before getting dressed in an outfit worthy of its own OTT network.
Pour More Into Yourself
If you’re thinking of, how you are supposed to live a life of both leisure and luxury, without the worry of footing the bill, we’re here to help. For us, living a soft life isn’t about having Chanel this and Gucci that. It means investing in yourself, pouring into your self-care mug, and then taking out time for others and your work from what’s left over. It means choosing the path of least resistance – never undertaking a task that you don’t really want to do. It means simply refusing to do the things that don’t align with what you want from your life.
Living a soft life in a lot of ways means living an authentic life. This realisation often comes the hard way. After being a quintessential hustler, listening to your body when it’s telling you to slow down is difficult. But it’s also the only way to be true to yourself and care for your mind and body.
Listen To Your Body And Mind
It’s true when your back is up against the wall, you have no other choice but to listen to yourself. Every single decision you make, whether it’s something small like waking up early and working out or doing a little yoga, or a big decision like switching professions, should depend on what genuinely feels right to you.
More often than not, we tend to tie our self-worth to our work. If a deal falls through or you’re not getting the kind of results that you expected, it’s easy for your self-esteem to take a hit. Take a step back and allow yourself to understand that maybe you are running after things that aren’t meant for you. Years of training your mind to think that you need to go hard every day is bound to create an imbalance.
It’s completely fine to want a life that allows you to spend more time with friends, family, and even yourself. Going from working hard seven days a week to prioritising what you enjoy and working only three days a week is okay.
The Power Of No: Establishing Boundaries In Your Soft Life
Living a soft life doesn’t mean being a doormat. It’s quite the opposite, really. It’s about calling the shots, about drawing a line in the sand, saying, “This is my limit.” It’s time to learn the power of a well-placed ‘no.’ Remember, your time and your energy, they are precious commodities. When you start treating them as such, you’ll find others will too. You have the right, or better yet, the responsibility, to choose where your energy goes. Keep it for what truly lights your fire and what aligns with your goals, and watch your life soften around the edges.
Incorporating Mindfulness: Stay Present, Stay Soft
I recently heard somebody compare mindfulness to chocolate. It’s like that rich, velvety chocolate that melts in your mouth and makes the world stand still for a second. That’s what mindfulness can do – bring you into the present and make you savour the now. It’s all about fully embracing the moment at hand, losing yourself in the task, in the joy of doing. Believe me, nothing screams ‘soft life’ more than immersing yourself fully in your passion project or sinking into the comfort of your bed after a long day. Mindfulness isn’t just about reducing stress, it’s about amplifying joy.
Embracing Imperfections
Finally, let’s talk about the biggie – embracing our imperfections. I know, I know, easier said than done, right? But here’s the thing, nobody’s perfect. They have their own battles, their own imperfections. Your so-called ‘flaws,’ they’re part of you, they make you the unique and wonderful person you are. So own them, wear them like a badge of honour. Because self-acceptance, that’s the softest way to live. You are beautifully imperfect, and that’s okay. It’s more than okay – it’s you. So embrace it, love it, and watch as the world softens in response.
Check-In With Yourself
Use the practice of journaling to check in with yourself and do this regularly. Jotting down what you are grateful for each day will also help you stay on track. Stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready. Remember life is a marathon, not a sprint.
Assess your to-do list each week and plan your schedule accordingly. Keep time in hand to work on your goals and your happiness. The rest can come second. It can be as simple as doing just one simple thing for yourself each day. Just an hour or even 30 minutes each morning to pour into yourself will do the trick.
A Soft Life Can Be Hard Work
If you think that soft living resonates with laziness, think again. Soft living doesn’t mean that you are exempt from working hard. It means that you are striving for things that you are passionate about. Stop when you get tired. Keep going when you are inspired. Work, but don’t overwork. You never know, you may even find more success in the process.
A soft life should be for people of all ages. The pandemic has been the wake-up call we all needed to see that life passes you by and time waits for no one. Figure out how to pull back, adjust to the dynamic that makes you thrive, and really fix your crown so you can enjoy the time you have been allotted on this planet.
The Soft Life And The 9 To 5
I am not oblivious to the fact that many of the opportunities that have been afforded to me have been because of the hard work of so many that have come before me. It is also much easier to enjoy the pros of a soft life when you are self-employed and have greater control over your schedule. But, even if you work a 9 to 5, you can adopt elements of a soft life.
First and foremost, figure out what you want and set goals that align with your values. Figure out what you see as your life goal and let go of things that don’t contribute to that vision. Picking up a side hustle that ends up being your greatest passion is great too. Just make sure you’re hustling for yourself.
After reading this you may think to yourself, “Wow! I’m already living a soft life.” While you may not be setting off to an exotic location, if you spend your mornings sipping on green tea and writing in your journal, you’re better off already. All you need to do is exercise regularly, whenever you feel up to it, do work that you love, and define success and failure only on your own terms. Harder than it seems, isn’t it? But, if you take soft living for what it truly is at its core, you will soon realize that you have the energy to conquer it all.
Read More: Is Crying A Good Thing For Your Health?
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