The Soft Power of Slowness

Once dismissed as quaint or impractical, so-called grandma hobbies—knitting, pottery, mahjong, reading physical books—are quietly reclaiming cultural relevance. This revival isn’t driven by nostalgia alone, but by some of the world’s most visible women, from Hollywood to Bollywood, who are embracing slow, tactile rituals as tools for mental health and intentional living. What began as a playful TikTok trend under #GrandmaHobbies has evolved into a counter-movement against burnout and doomscrolling. In a screen-saturated world, slowness is no longer laziness; it is luxury. Whether it’s Pamela Anderson knitting, Gigi Hadid crocheting between shoots, or Alia Bhatt and Twinkle Khanna finding calm in needlework and clay, the message is clear: analogue pleasures are not outdated—they are essential. Beyond celebrity optics, these rituals carry something deeper—memory, lineage, and embodied wisdom.

Handmade in the Age of AI

For entrepreneur Mallika Reddy, the visionary behind the sustainable fashion brands Cancelled Plans and Malle. The resurgence of grandma hobbies feels deeply intuitive rather than trendy. “Grandmothers have always held wisdom — and more so our Indian grandmothers,” she says. “It comes as no surprise to me that the world is slowly going analogue.”She points to the toll of constant digital exposure on the nervous system. “We are bombarded with content that can be both overstimulating and under-stimulating at the same time,” Reddy explains. “More and more people around me — including myself — are seeking intentional pauses away from doom-scrolling.” That pause, she notes, is increasingly tactile. “Doom-scrolling increases anxiety, shortens attention spans, and sells the idea of perfection,” she says. “Hobbies like knitting, pottery, and drawing do the opposite. They’re meditative. They build focus and patience — and most importantly, they celebrate imperfection.”Like many navigating the AI age, Reddy once feared technology would eclipse human creativity. Today, she sees the opposite unfolding.

The biology of slowing down

For sports & fitness and public health advocate, Deepti Akki, the revival feels almost ancestral. “Our grandmothers always knew how to spend quality time,” she reflects. “They made beautiful memories — or products — out of it for their children and grandchildren.”

She remembers her own grandmother stitching frocks by hand, particularly a pink fri lled dress that still lives vividly in memory. The tailoring machine remains long after her grandmother is gone, a physical reminder of patience, skill, and love. Akki’s own ritual today is reading — real books, not screens. “Reading a physical book sets the tone for my day. It frees me,” she says. Mornings begin with pages, not notifications; nights end with stories rather than scrolling. The difference, she insists, is not merely emotional but biological. “Anything that helps you slow down keeps hormones balanced. I actually recommend this to my clients.” Creative rituals like sketching or knitting calm the senses. Akki calls it gentle biohacking — helping us age better, with grace.

The new meditation

If craft is one path to stillness, games are another. Entrepreneur Deepa Reddy Dodla swears by mahjong—a game built for long afternoons and unhurried conversations. “Time is flying,” she observes. “We’re trying to be everywhere at once. Is it ambition, or is it FOMO?” For her, mahjong is the antidote. “It’s group therapy disguised as a game. Time stays still, and your subconscious enters a focused, active space.” She calls it “the new meditation,” a phrase that captures the cultural mood perfectly. Old, yes—but gold. In a world obsessed with novelty, repetition becomes revolutionary.

What’s striking is how these practices resist optimization. They cannot be rushed, automated, or scaled. A scarf takes as long as it takes. A book demands your full attention. A game unfolds at its own pace. In choosing them, women are quietly rejecting the myth that faster is better.

Slow habits, strong foundations

For dermatologist Dr Varsha Reddy, wellness looks remarkably like the habits our grandmothers lived by. “Real health comes from simple daily choices,” she says. “Good food, basic skincare, and mental balance.”

Her philosophy aligns closely with the spirit of grandma hobbies — slow, repetitive, and rooted in routine rather than results. Mornings begin with hydration, a few minutes of quiet mindfulness, and sun protection, followed by a simple, no-frills skincare ritual. “Like knitting a row every day or reading a few pages at night, it’s about consistency,” she explains. “Small actions, done daily.”

Between consultations, she stays gently active and eats balanced meals. Evenings are intentionally unhurried — time for family, light movement, and winding down. The day ends with a gentle skincare routine and proper sleep, echoing an older understanding of rest as repair. “Skin health reflects overall well-being,” she notes.

In a culture chasing instant fixes, Dr Reddy’s approach feels reassuringly old-fashioned — a reminder that the slow, steady rhythms our grandmothers trusted may still be the most effective form of self-care.

What celebs are doing to slow down

From knitting needles to Mahjong tiles, today’s most influential women are proving that slowing down isn’t a retreat—it’s a return to power:

· Samantha Ruth Prabhu: Meditation, journaling, and mindful cooking as healing practices.

· Kareena Kapoor Khan: Reading physical books as a daily ritual

· Twinkle Khanna: Pottery as tactile therapy

· Sonam Kapoor Ahuja: Collecting books and practicing mindful journaling during postpartum recovery

· Dia Mirza: Gardening and nature journaling as part of her wellness routine.

· Konkona Sen Sharma: Reading, writing by hand, and long-form journaling

· Pamela Anderson: Knitting and embracing domestic crafts as a form of self-expression

· Alia Bhatt: Needlework as mindfulness and grounding