How I stumbled upon slowmaxxing while working from home and why I think it will make me a better mom
Slowmaxxing has become shorthand for slowing down where you can, and working from home is where I first figured out what that actually meant for me. Here’s what changed once the commute disappeared, and how the same ideas can work whether you’re remote, hybrid or fully in-office.
What Does Slowmaxxing Look Like When You Work From Home?
For me, slowmaxxing while working from home means trading small rushed moments for chosen ones. Instead of grabbing my phone the second I wake up to check train times or traffic, I now step outside for a few minutes of morning light before I touch a screen.
The commute used to dictate the shape of my morning. I’d scroll notifications about delays before I was even out of bed, then rush through a routine built around catching a train or beating traffic.
If you want the full picture of what the term means, here’s a closer look at slowmaxxing and how it’s caught on. When that pressure vanished, the reflex to grab my phone had nothing to attach to, and my mornings opened up in a way I didn’t expect. Now I use that reclaimed time to sit outside, drink coffee I made myself and let the day start on my schedule instead of someone else’s.
Which Daily Habits Changed the Most for Me?
The biggest shift was cooking all three meals at home, including my morning coffee. I used to grab quick food on the way out the door without thinking about it. Now I actually sit down for meals instead of squeezing them in around everything else, which turned out to matter more than I realized.
The financial piece surprised me too. Skipping coffee shops, lunch spots and takeout added up to real monthly savings almost immediately, which lines up with what the Owl Labs 2025 State of Hybrid Work Report found about hybrid and remote workers saving on daily costs. My breaks changed too. Dishes, laundry and walking my dog became the default use of small pockets of time, and honestly that felt more restorative (and productive) than doom-scrolling ever did.
Can Hybrid or In-Office Workers Try Slowmaxxing Too?
Yes. I spent three years working hybrid and found ways to carry these habits into office days, mostly by protecting the commute home as a transition period rather than letting it dissolve into more scrolling or rushing.
For fully in-office workers, the same principles scale down. A five-minute pause outside before you check your phone brings in some of the same benefits. Getting morning light early has been linked to improved sleep quality and mood in a study in BMC Public Health, and you don’t need a remote job to get outside for a few minutes before work. Committing to cook just one meal a day at home is another realistic starting point that doesn’t require overhauling your schedule.
Where Should Someone Start With a Slowmaxxing Routine?
Pick one small substitution and protect it. That’s genuinely all I’d suggest at first. For remote workers, name the habits you want: morning light, home-cooked meals and no-scroll breaks, so they stay intentional choices instead of things that only happen on slow days.
For hybrid readers, I’d guard the commute home as wind-down time. Even 10 minutes of listening to something calming instead of checking work email can carry the mindset into office days.
For anyone fully in-office, start with five minutes outside before your phone comes out, a phone-free walk during lunch or one home-cooked meal a day rather than trying to replicate a fully remote schedule. The point isn’t to build a rigid routine. It’s to choose a few moments each day instead of letting them default to rushing.
Slowmaxxing as a New Mom
I’m about to become a first-time mom in a few days, and I’m genuinely grateful I built these habits years before I needed them this much. I think they’ll help me stay present with my baby while still making sure I’m taking care of myself too.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
