The Radical Joy of Living Like a Señora

Across social media, more women are trading hustle for slower living. After a decade of nonstop productivity and channeling chaos, many are ready for a different chapter - one filled with rest, rituals, and hobbies that soothe the mind, from tea blending to embroidery. It seems that something shifted after the pandemic, when we all realized there’s more to life than work. It’s even apparent in today’s wellness trends. 

We’re craving daily habits that restore calm and give us back a sense of control. Inspired by our mothers, abuelas, and even bisabuelas, Latina millennials in particular are reclaiming traditional home and garden activities and crafty pastimes as acts of balance, pride, and self-preservation. From natural beauty remedies to Sunday cleaning routines, these old time habits are making a quiet comeback.

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Nowhere is it more clearer than on TikTok, where the hashtag #senoralife has racked millions of views, with thousands Latinas taking up grandma or great grandma hobbies. In these viral videos, women are seen happily accepting the fact that they’re now señoras, while beautifying their homes, tending to their gardens, tidying the kitchen while boleros play in the background, or savoring a quiet afternoon as the day wraps up.

Where did this “señora life” idea come from?

Technically, the definition of a señora is “ma’am” or a woman who is older and in a more established era of her life. It’s always felt like a rite of passage when the cashier suddenly calls you señora - a moment that lands with a mix of pride and panic, as if they’ve just called you old. But now, the word is being redefined into something softer, wiser, and more modern. It’s our version of wellness.

And it’s happening now in particular because we’re all tired - and not afraid to admit it. Latina millennials report that they experience significantly more stress from juggling career and caregiving demands. After decades of high stakes family and career pressure and challenges, many of us are longing for the self-protection that comes with being a little older and no longer needing to grind.

The “girl boss” era - when self-help icons like Rachel Hollis and Sophia Amoruso were our rock stars - taught millennial women to keep pushing, no matter the cost. Slowing down felt like failure, and no one was talking about balance or boundaries. But as we entered our 30’s and 40’s, many of us began to seek out calm  - and the traditions of our families were the perfect place to start. The señoras of the past were the queens of boundaries and simple routines.

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In our book, Radical Señora Era, we give an overview of the “Hispanic Paradox,” which says that, despite structural barriers,  recent immigrants live longer and have better health than other groups.  Researchers have attributed this to things like social connection, family support, and life satisfaction, which keep Latin Americans happy and healthy. 

In fact,despite economic disadvantages, Latin American countries like Costa Rica, Mexico, Uruguay, El Salvador, and Chile rank highly or just as high as the United States in international happiness ratings.  So, it makes perfect sense that many of us are looking back to ancestral routines as a way to heal and slow down. Our cultures were in many ways the embodiment of well-being and happy living. 

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Years ago, I would’ve laughed at the idea of me having a hobby, because I was obsessed with productivity. Now I know this is productivity too, but the kind that helps you recharge, focus, and stay connected to what matters. Those activities help make my Monday mornings easier and I look forward to doing the hard things at work.  When you slow down and set boundaries, you still reach your goals, just without the burnout.

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So how can you curate your own calming señora wellness routines to make your next phase your best decade ever? 

• Start your morning outside: Step into the sunlight as soon as you wake up. It’ll give you an energy boost that coffee can’t match, and some healthy vitamin D. Your great-grandmothers may have started their day feeding the chickens or hanging laundry, connecting with the natural rhythm of morning.

• Find an old tradition you love and learn all about it: Learn a heritage skill that brings you joy - like tea blending. Our bisabuelas didn’t have tea bags; they mixed loose leaves, herbs, and fruit by hand or bought blends from the local apothecary. Turn it into your weekly ritual.

• Start napping: Your grandmother never skipped her afternoon siesta before going out for a walk to the mercado. A short rest restores energy, steadies your mood, and helps you move through the day with more grace.

• Make your home a little bit beautiful: Light more candles, decorate in a new way for the holidays, learn how to do tablescapes and set the dinner table nicely for lunch or dinner. Beauty in the everyday isn’t frivolous nonsense - it’s restorative.

Whether it’s making your home beautiful or feeling like it’s finally okay to slow down and actually feel well, the señora era shows us that slowing down is our right, and something the women from your family tree did well. It’s how they endured their hardest times, and it’s how we can get through ours too.