10 Brilliant Ways To Live A Soft Life, Even If You Work Full-Time
Make being at ease your new long-term goal.
insta_photos / Shutterstock Finding ways to feel like you live a soft life when you work full-time is no easy feat. The concept of a soft life means feeling at ease and comfortable, which can be hard to do in a fast-paced workplace. You may feel like you barely have the time to breathe, let alone live softly, but there are definitely ways that you can add softness into your life.
Doing small rituals where you treat yourself before your day begins can allow you to carve out peace in a chaotic environment. Little acts like cozying up with your favorite mug or changing the atmosphere of your space can help keep you relaxed. If you're ready to step into your soft life era, get ready to make it happen.
Here are 10 brilliant ways to live a soft life, even if you work full-time
1. Set clear boundaries around work
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One way you can start to live a soft life even if you work full-time is by setting clear boundaries with people at work, particularly the higher-ups at your job. A Gallup poll found that 76% of employees experienced burnout on the job, with the cause being solely that they are being overworked.
Telling your boss that you're at capacity with your workload is a starting point. You want to make sure you can follow through on the expectations that you set for yourself and your co-workers. Taking on additional work will leave you feeling burned out. If you're not careful, your employer may take advantage of this and want you to work outside of your scheduled hours. After a long workday, you should also develop a soothing ritual, like taking a warm bath with a cup of tea, so you can decompress.
2. Romanticize your daily routines
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Picture yourself savoring a freshly brewed cup of coffee in your favorite mug alongside something indulgent. What you choose to do as your morning routine says a lot about how you start your day. If coffee is not your thing, maybe you're the type who takes their time to pamper themselves by using scented lotions and face oils as soon as they wake up.
Having routines gives our lives meaning. A study published by the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that people who tend to prefer routines in their daily lives also reported having higher levels of meaning in their lives. This is because routines offer stability and structure. Order and purpose bring us into a comfort zone that becomes the cornerstone of living a soft life.
3. Curate a peaceful space
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Next time you're feeling anxious, pick a spot where you feel comfortable. This could be by a window nook or maybe even your cubicle and start to declutter it. Cleaning may not make sense to you right now but trust that it does help to clear your mind. As Alice Boyes Ph.D. explains, humans have an inherent preference for order and symmetry. So, when our environment feels disorganized then it can amplify feelings of stress and anxiety.
Boyes also notes that decluttering provides other benefits, such as improved focus and productivity. Organizing a space that you frequently use will help you feel more in control. The simple act of tidying up can propel you to live a softer life quicker than if you didn't choose to declutter.
4. Adopt a slow morning ritual
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Committing yourself to morning rituals like light stretching or yoga can ease your mood and spirit. Meditation is also an extremely beneficial, slow morning ritual to adopt. A study published by the JAMA Network revealed that mindfulness meditation led to small to moderate improvements in anxiety and depression. Integrating a morning ritual that you love can help you to emotionally regulate and lower your stress levels.
If you want to live a soft life, a lifestyle centered around peace and ease would be the best route for you. While it may not be better than therapy or exercise, it can be an effective self-care tool. Even if you work full-time, taking only 10 minutes in the morning to do your favorite ritual can benefit you for a whole day.
5. Say no to things more often
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Keisha Moore, LCSW, from Menninger Clinic, explains that when you confidently say no between two positive statements, it can help enhance your self-esteem, reduce stress, and improve overall mental health. For instance, you can express gratitude for the opportunity, then follow it by refusing the offer, and finally end the conversation with appreciation. This method is far less confrontational and shows that even though you do not want an offer of help that it is still appreciated.
Saying no to things more often shows others that you care about your time and energy. Similar to setting your boundaries at work, saying no is a part of that balance. Once you start to do this, you will notice a distinct change in your life as it slowly becomes easier to navigate. It gives you the calmness that a soft life requires to flourish.
6. Practice digital minimalism
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Social media can influence your mood. Participate in too much doom scrolling and you will begin to get anxious. Negative or sensational content tends to grab attention more effectively than actually good news. If you want to live a soft life the best thing you can do is participate in digital minimalism. By minimizing your intake on the negative stuff you put your focus on other matters like yourself.
Digital minimalism is a perfect antidote to the overwhelming presence of negativity online. A survey by Pew Research Center found that 64% of Americans say social media has a negative impact on the way things are going in the U.S. today. So, when you minimize your exposure to harmful content you're able to redirect your energy towards more positive outlets.
7. Indulge in micro self-care daily
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Participating in daily micro self-care practices like journaling or taking naps during the day can help to calm your mind down and reduce stress. Creating a positive affirmation can help you express gratitude and encourage you to keep going no matter how stressful your full-time job may be. A study published by the International Journal of Nursing Studies found that actively participating in self-affirmation exercises lowered cortisol levels and reduced stress.
Regular exposure to affirming words can help dissolve the negative self-talk you have about yourself. Even if you have a rough day, one glance can uplift you. Visually, it can become a sanctuary wall that calms you down in your own private space. Affirmations can act as a positive inner dialogue that guides you gently into the soft life that you deserve.
8. Eat mindfully and joyfully
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When you take the time to savor your food, you notice a difference. Suddenly, you can visualize the taste before it even hits your tongue. It's like your senses wake up and turn an ordinary meal into something truly magical. This would have only been possible if you took your time rather than rushing to go do something else. Living a soft life means living one that is paced at a rate slow enough to where you can relax.
In terms of food, the more time you take to eat mindfully and joyfully then the better you will feel. A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that eating more slowly can reduce energy intake and increase feelings of satiety. Instead of seeing meals as a task to get through, you can transform eating into a form of nourishment for both your body and your soul.
9. Prioritize rest without guilt
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It's easy for working people to believe that rest is something earned after being productive all day, but that simply isn't true. Rest is just a tool that helps you restore your energy and you can use it whenever you want. When you take a break, it benefits you even more when you're doing something else that you actually prefer.
According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, taking breaks earlier in the day and engaging in preferred activities can maximize recovery. The ability to restore your energy during breaks can impact your job satisfaction. This is why prioritizing rest without guilt of being unproductive at work is essential for your long-term success.
10. Surround yourself with soft energy
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Soft energy promotes relaxation and is dependent on a calm environment. Taking a walk outside or by the beach can help to reflect on your soft life. Being around a calm place allows you to tune into your feelings and react to them in peace. When you surround yourself among people who value the same tranquility then they will bring in even more contentment and fulfillment into your life.
The more you experience peace internally and externally then the less likely you are to put up with negativity. Even if you work full-time, living a soft life will bring you a sense of serenity and what used to bother you at the job won’t even make you react the same. Whereas before you would have reacted with anger and malice. Now that you're in your soft live era you embrace a more peaceful and docile response.
Sylvia Ojeda is an author who has over a decade of experience writing novels and screenplays. She covers self-help, relationships, culture, and human interest topics.
