There was a time when the internet was obsessed with fast living.
It was all about productive routines, perfect morning habits, and quick glow-ups to change your life.
But then, when things got too much, slow living started growing in the background as a need.
These days, cozy and soft trends are the new obsession. It makes my hygge-obsessed soul very happy.
One such lifestyle is ‘cottagecore’, and I’ve been following it for about a year now (while living in the city).
I am going to walk you through all the cozy little ideas that will help you embrace the cottagecore lifestyle, but first, let’s take a look at what it really means.
What is Cottagecore?
If you’ve ever seen soft images of wildflowers, handwritten journals, baking bread in warm kitchens, or girls reading by sunlit windows, you’ve probably already felt the cottagecore energy.
But it’s not just an aesthetic trend, of course.
The term itself became popular on the internet around 2018–2020, especially on Tumblr and TikTok, where people started romanticizing a simpler, nature-focused way of living.
The inspiration mainly came from countryside life, which explains the vintage and slow vibes.
At its heart, cottagecore celebrates intentional living.
It’s about finding beauty in small rituals, reconnecting with nature, and creating a life that feels gentle instead of overwhelming.
And no, you don’t need an actual cottage or a big garden to embrace cottagecore.
You can live in a busy city, work online, juggle responsibilities, and still build a cottagecore lifestyle. Keep reading to know how.
If your heart has been craving a slower pace lately, here are 12 cottagecore ideas to try in your everyday life:
How to Live a Cottagecore Life
1. Start Your Day with a Book or Journal
There’s something undeniably cottagecore about beginning your morning with quiet words and a warm drink in your hands.
It’s a true gift for your senses, and your day won’t ever start with chaos.
Before getting started with your day, give yourself a few minutes to sit with a book or open your journal and simply exist.
You don’t need to write pages or read an entire chapter. You can spend as much or as little time as you have.
I personally like to sit with my coffee and read while sipping it.
Those 10 minutes in the morning are all mine, and they inspire me to keep creating such little moments for myself during the day.
And honestly, when you start your day grounded in words and warmth, everything else feels softer to move through.
2. Cook Simple and Comforting Meals
One of the quiet joys of a cottagecore life is learning to slow down in the kitchen and see cooking as self-care.
And this usually happens when you make the simplest meals, like:
- Warm toast with butter melting slowly
- A comforting bowl of soup
- Scrambled eggs and iced coffee
- Pasta with homemade sauce
- Omelette with whatever veggies you have available
These are meals you can make every day without burning yourself out.
You just need to balance nourishment with ease and make your meals flavorful so that you enjoy eating.
And make sure the process is just as fun by playing music, chopping veggies while humming to yourself, and serving nicely.
Your prep energy will show in the results, so take it easy and enjoy the steps.
3. Bake on the Weekend
Baking is an activity fully in alignment with cottagecore living, but it’s a little time-taking and messy too.
But I think we all can find time to bake something on the weekend.
You don’t need complicated recipes or Pinterest-perfect results to enjoy it. Make a simple batch of cookies, banana bread, muffins, or even a soft tea cake.
Any of these will bring a comforting rhythm to your weekend.
Measure ingredients slowly, watch your food rise in the oven, and enjoy the aroma filling your space.
It is less about the outcome and more about the process — the quiet moments, the soft music playing in the background, the feeling of creating something warm with your own hands.
Even if the result isn’t perfect, the experience itself will give you the feel of living in a cottage in the countryside.
4. Learn the Joy of Handmade Things
We live in a world where almost everything can be bought instantly.
But nothing compares to the joy of slowing down and making things with your own hands.
Cottagecore living encourages you to create meaningful stuff yourself, like:
- Baking a soft loaf of banana bread on a slow afternoon
- Making charm jewellery while music plays in the background
- Pressing flowers into a journal
- Stitching something small just because it feels cozy
- Making DIY frames for your pictures
The beauty of handmade things lies in their imperfection. They carry your time, your energy, and your presence in a way store-bought items never can.
There’s also a softness in the process itself.
When your hands are busy, your mind slows down, and you get to connect with your creativity in its most gentle form.
5. Bring Nature Into Your Everyday Life
Cottagecore draws a lot of inspiration from countryside living, but you don’t need rolling hills or flower fields to feel connected to nature.
You can do it wherever you are by letting nature into your routine.
Here are a few ideas to try:
- Opening your windows for fresh air in the morning
- Keep a few plants near your workspace
- Sit by natural light while you journal
- Take your tea outside for a few minutes
- Go on slow walks without a destination
- Sit down on a bench in the park and read a book
- Have monthly picnics with your friends
- Gaze the stars for a minute before going to bed
As someone who genuinely finds peace in nature, I can tell you that even a short time outdoors can shift your energy.
The sound of rustling leaves, the softness of the sky, the quiet rhythm of your steps — these moments pull you out of noise and bring you back into the present.
And that mindfulness, in many ways, is what cottagecore is really about.
6. Romanticize Your Space Instead of Trying to Perfect It
There’s a misconception that cottagecore homes need to look like perfectly styled Pinterest boards.
In reality, the charm of this lifestyle comes from warmth, not perfection.
Your space doesn’t have to be expensive or aesthetic in a traditional sense.
You just need a few details to create a feeling that your home is truly lived in, which is what romanticizing is about.
Rearrange your workspace, add soft textures, and keep things you love within reach (like a book by your bed and a candle on your desk).
Buy one cute little decor piece when you’re out shopping, and keep adding such things to the empty spaces in your home.
Basically, focus on filling your space with things that make you warm and mushy, without creating clutter. No need to try to copy someone else’s vision. Cottagecore is never about that.
7. Take Gentle Walks That Feel Like Moving Meditation
Movement in a cottagecore life looks very different than your typical fitness.
You don’t worry about intensity or the numbers on the scale here. You just move your body in ways that feel soft and grounding.
Daily walks are one of the easiest ways to embody this energy.
You can listen to music while at it, or tune into a podcast. And sometimes, silence might be the only companion you need.
Walking slowly allows you to reconnect with your surroundings and your thoughts. It’s like moving meditation.
So, find the quietest path close to your house and take walks there every day. Your mind and body will love this time away from the daily hustle and bustle.
8. Slow Down Your Digital World
Let’s be honest. We’re not going to abandon the internet anytime soon, especially when so much of our work lives online.
But cottagecore living encourages small digital boundaries so that you can focus on real moments more.
Don’t check your phone during your morning tea. Take a short break from scrolling before bed. Spend one hour doing something offline each day.
Step away from your phone an hour before bed, and keep track of your daily screen time to stay mindful about your phone usage.
These tiny pauses from the digital world will make your life quiet and peaceful.
And when your mind is less cluttered from the digital noise, even ordinary moments will start being more meaningful.
9. Follow Cottagecore Creators Online
Okay, so we just talked about reducing your screen time, but in the moments when you are online, you can use the time there to tap into your cottagecore life.
The internet can be a beautiful source of inspiration when you choose what you consume carefully.
Following cottagecore creators who embody slow living can gently influence your own routines.
One of the accounts I follow on YouTube is ‘All the feral fawns’. The creator has such an earthy and soft girl energy, and I love watching her content while eating my meals.
Content like this will help you surround yourself with visuals that remind you to slow down.
Watching a video of someone baking bread, journaling by a window, or walking through nature can put you in a really good mood.
It creates a small pause in your day where you remember that life doesn’t always have to move at high speed.
Just be sure to follow creators who make you feel grounded, not pressured. Cottagecore content should feel like a deep breath, not another standard you need to meet.
10. Create a Little Cottagecore Wall or Inspiration Board
One of the sweetest ways to bring cottagecore energy into your everyday life is by creating a small visual corner that reflects the softness you’re trying to cultivate.
I am not asking you to make a curated Pinterest wall or spend tons of money here.
You can get a little board and decorate it using random nature photographs, pressed flowers, calming quotes, and little sketches and postcards.
Don’t put any pressure on yourself to make it perfect. This should be less like decorating and more like storytelling to remind you of the life you want to build.
Every time you glance at that little board, it will bring you back to the slow romantic energy you’re trying to create.
Also, the beauty of a cottagecore wall is that it evolves with you. Your board can evolve right with you.
Some days you’ll add new pictures, other days you’ll rearrange things just because it feels cozy.
What a fun way to reflect your inner world in your outer world, right?
11. Dress in a Way That Feels Soft and Comfortable
It’s very normal these days to get inspired by outfits you see online and try trendy things.
There’s nothing wrong with that, but cottagecore style prioritizes feeling cozy in your skin more than anything.
You can wear flowy fabrics, oversized sweaters, soft colors, and any clothes that feel breathable and relaxed.
Some days you might lean into florals and romantic silhouettes. Other days, it might simply mean wearing something warm and comforting while you work from home.
The point isn’t to look aesthetic for the internet. It’s to feel gentle with yourself, which is what this lifestyle is all about.
12. Create Evenings That Help You Truly Wind Down
If cottagecore mornings are like gentle beginnings, then evenings are like soft endings.
Instead of closing the day feeling stressed, you create small rituals that signal to your body that it’s safe to slow down.
Take a warm shower, get into clean clothes, and do a basic skincare routine.
Lower the lights, put your phone away earlier than usual, and make a warm drink or open a book you’ve been wanting to read.
On nights when you have some time, you can just sit quietly for a few minutes with your journal and write down your thoughts.
You might not have full control over your day (life happens, you know), but you can choose to close it in good energy.
So, pour into self-care and give yourself cottagecore nights. Your morning self will thank you for it.
You Don’t Need a Cottage to Live a Cottagecore Life
Look, I would love to forever escape to a cottage and spend my life there.
But that’s kind of hard (at the moment), so I do my best to embrace cottagecore life right in the city, and it works!
Cottagecore life doesn’t mean you escape reality or pretend that life is always peaceful.
It just means creating pockets of calm and joy inside a busy world.
Start with one idea from this post that speaks to you — a slow morning, a cozy walk, a new baking recipe, or a soft evening ritual.
And let the lifestyle grow naturally day by day
Because the truth is, cottagecore isn’t something you achieve. It’s something you slowly become.
Your life already has the potential for that softness. You just have to give yourself permission to notice it.
Read next: 25 Feminine Hobbies To Make You Feel Soft and Cozy
What does the term cottagecore mean to you? Use three words to describe it in the comment box. Could be a fun way to get started with this lifestyle.
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