The rise of the “girlboss” era in the 2010s embodied ambition, independence, and tireless hustle. Popularized by figures like Sophia Amoruso and mirrored in the aesthetic of Instagram-worthy coffee-fueled grind culture, it celebrated breaking the glass ceiling—albeit with a curated filter. Fast forward to today, and those same girlbosses seem to be trading in their power suits for plush robes and prioritizing inner peace over 12-hour workdays. Enter the “soft life” movement, a sharp pivot from the hustle-centric ethos of its predecessor.
What Is the “Soft Life”?
The “soft life” isn’t just a catchy hashtag—it’s a mindset shift. Rooted in rejecting unnecessary hardship, it emphasizes intentional living, work-life balance, self-care, and surrounding oneself with comfort and ease. While its ethos resonates universally, the phrase was popularized in the Nigerian influencer space. Content creators like @jackieaina have played a significant role in bringing the concept to global attention. Known for her luxury-focused lifestyle vlogs and advocacy for self-care, Jackie often highlights the importance of rest, indulgence, and living life on your own terms.
Originally tied to aspirational living and financial independence, the soft life challenges the expectation of constant struggle to achieve success. It’s about redefining what it means to live well, focusing not just on material wealth but also on mental and emotional peace.
The Appeal of Reclaiming Rest
The transition from girlboss hustle to soft girl ease is reflective of a cultural reckoning with the toll hustle culture takes. Burnout, anxiety, and disillusionment are the side effects of a society that equates self-worth with productivity. As millennials and Gen Z reckon with precarious economic conditions, stagnating wages, and the pressure to monetize every hobby, it’s no wonder that the pendulum is swinging in the opposite direction.
The pandemic further accelerated this shift. Forced to slow down and reassess priorities, many realized the grind wasn’t as fulfilling as it seemed. For some former girlbosses, the soft life offers a more sustainable path forward. It reframes success as peace and contentment rather than constant achievement.
The soft life movement also confronts systemic inequities baked into hustle culture. While the girlboss era celebrated the idea that anyone could succeed with enough grit, it often overlooked the barriers of race, class, gender, and ability. The soft life, by contrast, invites everyone to redefine success on their own terms and reject the myth that rest is a reward to be earned.
Rest and leisure are now seen as acts of resistance—especially for women and marginalized groups historically expected to shoulder disproportionate burdens of labor. The shift acknowledges that working oneself to exhaustion shouldn’t be a badge of honor but a warning sign.
What’s Next?
The soft life movement doesn’t mean abandoning ambition or giving up on career goals. Instead, it’s about striking a balance. The girlbosses-turned-soft-girls are proving that you can still be driven without driving yourself into the ground. True empowerment lies in having the autonomy to choose rest as readily as you choose hustle.
As the soft life movement gains momentum, it invites all of us to reconsider how we define success. Can we embrace ambition and joy without sacrificing one for the other? And, more importantly, can we normalize rest—not as a luxury, but as a necessity?
The girlbosses are trading burnout for boundaries, and that’s a pivot worth celebrating.
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