IS THE Soft Life AS EASY AS IT LOOKS?

BY TIFFANY STEWART

A soft life is the “It” thing for 2023, but what exactly does it mean to live a “soft life”? If you search the hashtag on Instagram or TikTok, you’ll find examples of women traveling to exotic locations, purchasing luxury goods, and tapping into selfcare with massages and other spa basics. It’s always good to see Black women receiving the best, but when you’re a hardworking, overly dedicated woman, crossing over into the soft life trend may be easier said than done.

The term “soft life” originated in Nigeria to define living a life of comfort and low stress. To say you want to live a soft life is to welcome a life of enjoyment with minimal effort while receiving maximum comfort. Many people hear this new term and immediately think of it as women wanting to be “kept” or “taken care of” when it’s so much more. The soft life trend is for those women who tend to be overachievers, the most responsible, the ones always sacrificing their happiness for others, to allow themselves access to a better life.

There’s nothing wrong with being an overachiever, just make sure you’re also working towards short-term goals of happiness, like a spa day or a shopping trip, or simply a day of doing nothing. Whatever it looks like, lean in. Being the most responsible is a gift but, as you try to get softer, take at least one day a week for yourself, even if that means throwing the phone on DND for a few hours. If you’re always making sacrifices for others, take time to really learn what makes you happy, then, no matter how big or small, aim to do that as much as possible. The idea is not to view a soft life as this fantasy but instead, as a destination where all Black women deserve to rest their weary hearts -- because who’s more deserving than us?