It’s no secret that the pandemic has been tough, and people have come to understand that the mere act of getting through the day is an accomplishment in and of itself. In an effort to cope, there has been a major shift in what “self-care” actually means. While I love a good face mask, now we’re going deeper, prioritizing mental health, establishing boundaries, dating intentionally and parenting intuitively. At the same time, Black women, I have noticed, have been participating in their own movement: They’re embracing the soft life.
What is the soft life, you ask? According to Urban Dictionary, the soft life is “the opposite of hard life. [It’s] where you make decisions that leave you feeling stress free and vibrating higher,” the soft life, the website describes, is “less about wealth (though it helps) and more about making good choices.” While this may seem obvious and simple to some, for a group that has been as grossly marginalized as Black women, this concept is revolutionary.