The Increase of the Senora: Exploring the Resurgence of Ancient Latin Lifestyle Habits Among Latines
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In a cultural shift that emphasizes balance between work and self-care, a movement known as the Señora Era is gaining traction among younger Latines. This movement encourages a slower, restful lifestyle that counters the relentless hustle mindset often tied to capitalism.
Brooklyn-based, Mexican-American roommates Jaqueline Padilla and Alexis Mendias were inspired to create "City Señoras", a social club for young Latines wanting to embrace the Señora Era. Their first event, held in August, has since seen an increase in attendance. The club aims to expand to cities across the country and support local, Latine-owned businesses.
The Señora Era movement promotes working without letting work fully define one’s identity. It advocates for boundaries where work does not dominate personal life or sense of self. The lifestyle fosters tranquilidad (peace or calm) and a more measured, intentional lifestyle that values slow beauty and self-love.
Self-care is a key aspect of the Señora Era. It encourages creating calm and balance, incorporating rituals of slow beauty and self-appreciation that counteract burnout and stress commonly induced by fast-paced, capitalist work environments.
The Señora Era also acts as a subtle form of resistance to capitalist values. By prioritizing tranquility and rejecting the idea that worth comes solely from productivity, it embraces a lifestyle where well-being and joy are central, rather than constant economic output or material accumulation.
Researchers in Nogales, Arizona are investigating how social circumstances impact sleep for Latines along the U.S.-Mexico border as part of the Nogales Cardiometabolic Health and Sleep Study (NoCHeS). Among people of Mexican descent living near the border, higher levels of "Americanness" (a measure of acculturation) are associated with worse sleep quality, more insomnia, and more sleep apnea symptoms.
In the United States, rest and self-care have become a luxury for immigrants and Latines, who make up 18% of the labor force but have to work harder for less. Mexican-Americans are losing sleep at a faster rate than non-Hispanic white Americans. The practice of taking a siesta, a short nap during the afternoon, is common in many regions across Latin America but not in the United States.
Tricia Hersey, founder of the Nap Ministry, emphasizes the need for imagination and rest to create a new world. Photographer Alejandro Cartagena documented Mexican construction workers sleeping in the beds of trucks on their way to work in a series titled "Carpoolers".
The Señora Era movement on social media, particularly on TikTok, has garnered significant attention. The hashtags #SeñoraEra and #SeñoraTok have amassed 19.2M and 1.5M views respectively.
Sleep is crucial to our overall health and embodied wellbeing, and a lack of rest can increase the risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. The Señora Era movement encourages a lifestyle that prioritizes self-care and well-being, providing a much-needed counterbalance to the hustle culture that permeates modern society.
- The City Señoras social club, founded by Jaqueline Padilla and Alexis Mendias, is a gathering for young Latines to embrace the Señora Era, a movement that advocates for a slower, more intentional lifestyle.
- The Señora Era movement encourages individuals to maintain their personal identity separate from their work, establishing healthy boundaries to prevent work from dominating their lives.
- In line with the Señora Era, the movement promotes self-care as a means to combat burnout and stress often induced by fast-paced work environments.
- Self-care under the Señora Era encompasses rituals of slow beauty and self-appreciation, countering the relentless hustle mindset often associated with capitalism.
- In the United States, restoration and self-care remain luxuries for many immigrants and Latines, as they struggle to make ends meet despite comprising a significant portion of the labor force.
- Researchers in Nogales, Arizona, are studying the impact of social circumstances on sleep quality among Latines residing near the U.S.-Mexico border as part of the NoCHeS study.
- In an effort to promote well-being and joy, the Señora Era movement offers a subtle resistance to capitalist values, emphasizing the importance of rest, imagination, and self-care in creating a new, more balanced world.
