‘Nonnamaxxing’: Why Gen Z Is Turning Grandma’s Routines Into the New Wellness Flex

A small but fast-growing wellness buzzword in Indian media this week is “nonnamaxxing” — a tongue‑in‑cheek term for simply living more like your grandma. Instead of chasing pricey supplements, biohacks or luxury retreats, young people are reframing old‑school routines as their ideal form of self‑care.

The core idea is to copy the everyday habits of an older generation: cooking meals from scratch instead of relying on instant food, taking slow evening walks, tending a balcony garden, knitting or reading with your hands off your phone, and spending long, unhurried time with family. What used to be seen as “ordinary middle‑class life” in India is being rebranded by Gen Z as a lifestyle worth aspiring to.

The movement is in part a backlash against hyper‑curated, productivity‑driven wellness content on social media. Nonnamaxxing invites people to step away from constant optimization and find value in routines that are cheap, sustainable and emotionally grounding. It echoes Japan’s own “slow, careful living” trends, but with a specific emphasis on learning directly from grandmothers and celebrating their low‑key, resilient way of moving through the day.