If youre on the travel side of TikTok, you may have come across topics like soft life, soft travel or soft life travel. In these videos, viewers often see beautiful, bright images of beaches, flowy dresses and coffee mugs sitting by a window.

Many creators are embracing this lifestyle-turned-travel trend. It originated from the idea of living the soft life, as named and popularized by Nigerian influencers and Black women . Basically, it means living in a way thats less stressful, less busy and more fulfilling.

What does it mean in the context of travel, though?

Soft travel, simply put, is taking the rest you know you need in a place where you feel some space from your daily life, said Willow McGinty , a licensed mental health counselor with Thriveworks .

In some ways, soft travel looks the same for most people, like sleeping in or not hurrying from spot to spot. If youre a parent, perhaps youre letting your kids lead the way and taking your time going from point A to point B. Youre probably not ticking off landmarks or following guided tours in multiple languages either, said Valerie Kowalski , an associate therapist with Gateway to Solutions .

But, as McGinty noted, it can also look different depending on your interests and what relaxes you. For example, a walk outdoors may feel calming to some but exhausting to others; some people may find lying on the beach most relaxing, while others need to pair it with a popular summer read .

Additionally, soft travel can mimic other travel trends. Vacationers who are going to a new city or want to get more touristy may prefer immersing themselves in quality-over-quantity adventures via slow travel. On the other hand, those who need time to relax by sleeping may be interested in soft travel that looks like a sleepcation. No matter which of these sounds best to you, you cant really go wrong.

Why You Might Want To Consider A Soft Travel Trip

Soft travel is packed (pun intended) with mental and physical health benefits. This type of approach allows individuals to rest and disconnect from the stress of their everyday lives, said Dr. Andrea Papa , the chief medical officer at Advantage Behavioral Health . Not only does it promote physical relaxation, but [it] also [benefits] mental health.

Managing stress can help you sleep better, feel happier, have less muscle tension and get along better with loved ones. Papa also noted that pleasurable, relaxing activities (and fully immersing yourself in them without rushing) can give you a mental break.

These practices can help form and maintain a work-life balance.

Soft travel can help us get the kind of rest we need and help us to develop the boundary between our authentic self and the person we need to be to accomplish our professional goals, McGinty said. Soft travel offers us an opportunity to slow down, take stock of our needs and engage in activities that rejuvenate us for our daily life.

Slowing down is helpful not only for our well-being which is most important but can even help us be more productive, efficient, creative and able to concentrate .