“Nonnamaxxing” is the latest wellness trend on the internet, aimed at the tired and oversaturated modern generation. In honour of Italian grandmothers, called “nonna,” the trend revolves around slowing down, romanticising the mundane activities, and enjoying more mellow activities.
The point of the concept? Your grandmother could actually be a master of wellness in her own right, without any help from the internet. The premise behind nonnamaxxing is abandoning your fast-paced lifestyle in favour of home cooking, gardening, strolls, knitting, baking, chats, and reduced screen time.
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The Art of Nonnamaxxing
At its core, nonnamaxxing is about embracing everyday rituals that feel grounding and comforting. Think cooking meals from scratch, watering plants, sipping chai on the balcony, crocheting, reading physical books, opening windows for fresh air, taking evening walks, or simply sitting outside doing absolutely nothing.
The trend exploded on TikTok and Instagram, where creators began posting cosy videos inspired by Italian grandmother lifestyles. Soon, “grandma-core” living became aspirational online. And honestly, it makes sense. After years of hustle culture telling people to monetise every hobby, maximise every hour, and constantly improve themselves, younger generations are burnt out.
Nonnamaxxing feels like the complete opposite of modern productivity culture. You don’t need to turn your hobbies into side hustles. You don’t need to track every calorie or optimise every second of your day. The trend is less about becoming your “best self” and more about becoming a calmer version of yourself.
It also taps into growing conversations around longevity and slow living. Italy is known for high life expectancy rates, while Sardinia is famously considered one of the world’s Blue Zones, places where people tend to live longer, healthier lives. A lot of the habits associated with nonnamaxxing, like walking regularly, eating fresh food, spending time with loved ones, and maintaining slower routines, are already linked to lower stress and better overall health.
Why Nonnamaxing feels like comfort right now
Life today often feels nonstop. Notifications never stop buzzing. Social media constantly pushes people to achieve more, buy more, and improve themselves faster. Everyone seems to be optimising every part of their lives, and even rest has somehow become performative online. It’s exhausting.
That’s exactly why nonnamaxxing feels comforting right now. The trend is essentially about slowing down and making space for simple, ordinary moments again. Instead of constantly consuming content or multitasking, people are choosing quieter routines — cooking meals from scratch, taking walks without headphones, gardening, reading physical books, or simply sitting outside doing nothing.
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Similar parallels exist in India as well. Youngsters are increasingly picking up practices that their dadi or nani did for many years, hair oiling, seasonal eating, gardening, taking tea in the afternoon, stitching, preparing meals from scratch, and simply sitting post-dinner sans electronic gadgets. It is amusing how the very practices considered outdated in the past are now redefined as wellness goals.
How Nonnamaxxing Became Gen Z’s Escape From Burnout
Part of the attraction of nonnamaxxing is its attainability. Compared to trends such as luxury wellness, which involve costly products, rigorous regimes, and aesthetic excellence, this new trend focuses on taking things slow and embracing everyday life again. You don’t have to spend money in luxurious resorts to indulge in nonnamax. All you have to do is relax and not rush things.
For some young people, nonnamaxxing is a way of rebelling against hustle culture. After decades of productivity tools, podcasts dedicated to personal growth, dopamine tricks, and being available all the time online, people want softness and relaxation again. Nonnamaxxing feels like a generational backlash against an era where everything has to be a performance.
Obviously, like any internet phenomenon, nonnamaxxing can sometimes get too aesthetically pleasing. But beneath all the homely images and cottagecore vibes, there’s something that rings very true: people are exhausted. They are exhausted by the concept of burnout. They are exhausted by productivity culture. They are exhausted from having to feel like every second of their lives should somehow contribute to the greater good.
In a world of technology that revolves around accomplishing tasks, deciding to take things slower and living softly takes on an entirely revolutionary meaning. Sometimes self-care isn’t about optimisation; sometimes it’s simply about grounding oneself in the basics.
Lead and social image credit: Instgram/imouniroy & Pexels
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