Have you heard of the new wellness trend called “slowmaxxing?” Essentially, slowmaxxing involves—you guessed it—slowing down (to the maxx?) Or, in other words, moving more intentionally through your daily routines. Here’s what experts say about the trend.
Benefits of Slowmaxxing
While it might seem like yet another silly social media trend, slowmaxxing actually has the following benefits.
1. It Makes Us More Present
Slowmaxxing helps us be more present in our own lives, increasing our mindfulness and dulling our anxiety.
“By encouraging slowness, slowmaxxing helps us experience the normal activities of our lives differently,” says Alex Snider, facilitator at Slow Mindfulness and author of the upcoming book, “Sometimes You Should Be Late: The quiet rebellion of slowing down in a world obsessed with speed” (July 7, 2026). “At the end of the day, slowmaxxing reminds us that it’s not what we do; it’s how we do it.”
“When we slow down with daily tasks, do fewer things, and build in time between activities, we are able to more fully experience what we are doing,” Snider adds. “The activity may be the same, but the experience isn’t.”
2. It Strengthens Our Gratitude
We also tend to experience more gratitude for the small (yet meaningful) moments, no longer taking them for granted.
“It’s the difference between rushing through a chocolate bar, and actually slowing down enough to chew it, taste the subtle flavors, and appreciate how lucky we are to be eating chocolate,” says Snider.
3. It Helps Us Reconnect With Ourselves
When we slow down, we often make room for our own thoughts and feelings to arise. There’s a reason many of us keep busy, always on the go: it’s a distraction. But this distraction often disconnects us from our own intuition and inner truths.
“Individually, slowing down connects us more deeply to ourselves,” says Snider. “We’re able to understand what we’re feeling and experiencing and learn which activities fill us up and which deplete us.”
4. It Increases Empathy
Believe it or not, the more we slow down and reconnect with ourselves, the better we can show up for those around us. For example, I am certainly the worst version of myself when I’m rushing around and stressed by all the items on my daily to-do list.
“Slowing down makes us more available to care for one another,” says Snider. “When we build in a buffer before heading to dinner, we’re more patient with traffic and more likely to stop and help someone in need. Our world would be a much kinder place if there was more slowmaxxing in it.”
How to Practice Slowmaxxing
Here are a few simple ways to implement slowmaxxing into your everyday life.
1. Slow Down Your Daily Activities
How often do you catch yourself rushing your routines, errands, chores, etc., without actually being present in or intentional with them?
“[Slowmaxxing] allows us to better enjoy the experience and not miss the nuance that is so easy to overlook when we rush,” says Snider.
2. Simplify Your Schedule and Plans
In today’s hustle culture, we tend to optimize everything we do and say yes to every request someone makes of us. This is one of the quickest ways to burn yourself out. Slowmaxxing prevents you from overinvesting in areas that aren’t investing back into you.
“When we do less, we are able to experience those we choose to do with more presence and joy,” says Snider.
3. Build in Time Between Tasks
It seems like downtime is a thing of the past. Many of us feel guilty for taking space or finding a moment to breathe in a jam-packed day.
“When there is time between meetings and events, we inhabit those experiences differently,” says Snider. “We can pay more attention to the tone of our friend’s voice than the clock.”
The post Introducing ‘Slowmaxxing,’ the Wellness Trend for People Who Are Tired of Rushing Through Life appeared first on VICE.
