health wellbeing soft Soft Living:
Embracing Ease and Comfort in Daily Life

Soft living is a lifestyle choice that prioritises comfort, ease, and simplicity. Originating in Nigeria, it is a concept which has gained popularity in recent years, as an increasing number of people search for an alternative to the stresses and pressures of ordinary living. With many similarities to the slow living movement (which encourages doing things better rather than faster), soft living invites ease and flow into your life, through a focus on self-care and mindful connections. It is a beautiful concept to support at any time but perhaps even more so in the cooler months as we naturally slow down and unwind.

Why choose Soft Living?

Some of the many of the many advantages of adopting a gentler and easier lifestyle include:

  1. Living in the present: Through mindfulness one is able to focus more fully on the present, reducing feelings of overwhelm and increasing feelings of contentment and peace. The temptation to always look ahead to the next moment and seek happiness in the future is reduced.
  2. Improved health: Soft living promotes relaxation and a general slowing down of life. Instead of rushing through life, making choices borne primarily from our conditioning and habits, soft living allows us to be conscious of life as it unfolds moment by moment. Time to breathe, rest and simply be, all of which have a positive impact on overall health.
  3. Time for self-care: soft living encourages self-care to become part of the core of our existence. Allowing time and space to bring joy into ourselves, even through simple acts such as a cup of tea and chat with a friend, a morning walk or daily meditation.
  4. Healthy Relationships: Through mindfulness, gratitude and healthy boundaries, it is possible to build meaningful connections, with both ourselves and others, and increase feelings of wellbeing and fulfillment.
  5. Increased Contentment: Soft living encourages one to appreciate and value what they already have without striving to keep acquiring more. Life is lived more simply and easily when the focus shifts from doing to being, and finding significance in the moment.
  6. Softer footprint on the planet: With less focus on acquisition and consumerism, soft living helps protect our precious resources. It is gentle for the planet as well as for us.

Ways to live softly

There are many ways to bring soft living into our everyday life. You may like to embrace all of these suggestions or just one or two, but any change whether big or small will reap benefits.

  1. Simplify your life. Streamline your daily routine by removing anything that causes stress or is not essential. It is very easy to complicate our lives with more and more commitments and possessions, that we convince ourselves are necessary. Live simply and from the heart and focus on the things that truly matter.
  2. Prioritise joy. Find activities that bring you joy, and make them a regular part of your routine, whether that be catching up with friends, a walk in nature or creative hobbies. Prioritise your time and energy and find ways to live with love.
  3. Positive boundaries. Set in place appropriate boundaries and surround yourself with positive energy. Be aware of what and who you are saying yes to. This can help to improve your overall mood and increase feelings of peace and comfort.
  4. Move beyond your habits. It is easy for us to fall back onto our habits and live our lives the way we think we are supposed to, without really questioning or wondering if this is best for us. Bring awareness to the simple choices you make each day and see where you can let go of stress or unnecessary complication.
  5. Find balance. Create a life/work balance that enables downtime and supports wellbeing. With the rise in working from home for many people, the lines between work and family/personal time have become blurred. This problem can be accentuated by the easy access of technology, where many people are expected to be reachable for large parts of the day. Practise switching off with time to just be.
  6. Create a home sanctuary. Decluttering your home and removing anything that causes stress will improve feelings of calm and spaciousness. Set up your home to provide a soothing and comfortable environment, and watch how your energy and wellbeing improves with this.

Conclusion

Soft living is a way of bringing ease and comfort into our lives. Through this gentle approach to life, one is able to slow down, breathe and live mindfully, with meaningful connections to oneself and others. A focus on living in the moment and gratitude enables us to feel at peace with where we are at any moment in time, without striving to achieve or do more, or living solely based on our habits. Fulfillment and peace then come without struggle and stress. In what ways can you live more softly today?

 

 

By Kerrie Clayton

Kerrie has been a member of the AHHCA for over 10 years and is currently part of its Committee of Management. She is a qualified Holistic Health Practitioner and Reiki Master. Kerrie may be contacted via www.wellnesswithkerrie.com