The Señora Era is a Radical Movement Toward Healing

Gen Z is walking away from hustle culture and embracing what they call “granny hobbies”, activities like junk journaling, baking from scratch, embroidery, and hand-stitching. On TikTok and Instagram, thousands of videos with millions of views show young creators proudly transforming what once seemed old-fashioned into a movement that feels both radical and restorative. What their grandparents (or great grandparents) treated as everyday life, Gen Z is reframing as a cure for burnout;  proof that slowing down, making things by hand, and savoring simple rituals can be both healing and cool. Latinas, however, have had their own version of “granny hobbies” for a while, but we call it our señora life. It’s an online movement that took hold during the pandemic, rooted in home and garden activities, and inspired by the matriarchs of our families: our abuelas, bisabuelas, moms and tias. 

On social media, you see thousands of Latinas talking about their señora life to millions of views. They’re posting videos tending to their plantitas, filming “clean with me” mornings with Celia Cruz or going grocery shopping, and showing the small domestic rituals that bring calm and sometimes even joy. What might look like everyday chores are reframed as practices of balance and heritage, and that’s what makes the señora movement resonate so deeply online – it’s both familiar and radical at the same time.

At its core are several much deeper elements. First, is the desire to slow down, protect your peace, and break free from the hustle culture and boss-babe mentality that dominated the early 2000s. It’s the moment you realize your work identity should not define your self-worth, that you deserve a life beyond your career, and that you don’t have to accept being taken advantage of at work. All this while still retaining your ambition to get as far up the career ladder as you can – but with an eye toward balance and boundaries. 

It’s also a way to show resistance – because being joyful right now, and taking care of yourself these days, when our community is being openly racially profiled in the streets, is almost something we are not supposed to be doing. It’s a way to say, it’s okay to take a break, to close your eyes, to care for yourself first. Latinas are navigating pay gaps, caregiving burdens, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and the lingering health toll of the pandemic. Turning to familiar rituals – cooking comfort foods, or gathering with family – is a way to reclaim peace. These everyday practices offer grounding when so much around us feels unstable.

Grannycore and señora life  are both also strong stress antidotes and may even be cures for our screen addiction. After years of doomscrolling and hustle, and a chaotic year to date, slowing down with a hands-on hobby feels like self-care and helps you put your mind at ease no matter what’s going on in the world. Slower, analog activities can counter our digital multitasking  by forcing us to unplug and focus on a single task – without any deadlines or rage bait. In other words, baking a loaf of bread or making tea mindfully  isn’t just fun – it’s helping to find a bit of peace and purpose outside of work or screens.

There’s likely a reason why we are all gravitating towards the same things: there’s  strong evidence that things like crafts, gardening and cozy hobbies like baking, help people feel grounded, less anxious, and regulates their nervous system. We are doing what naturally helps us feel more soothed.  
It’s a trend that’s years in the making. This concept of slowing down has gotten so ubiquitous that there’s a proliferation of Latina walking clubs like City Señoras, hundreds of book clubs, and Latine book stores like Cafe con Libros, where the goal is to slow down, and connect with nature, themselves and community.

In other words, our community is actively redefining what success and wellness look like, centering wellness that’s more familiar to us. You can call it grannycore, or being in your señora era, but any way you put it, it’s a lifeboat for this difficult era for our community, and it’s helping many of us. 

Ann Murray- Dunning is the co-founder of Vamigas and author of Radical Señora Era: Ancestral Latin American Secrets for a Happier, Healthier Life