I Tried the Cozymaxxing Trend to Reduce Stress—Here’s How It Made Me Feel

Changing into your comfiest pair of leggings and lounging on the couch isn’t being unproductive. It’s just one way of cozymaxxing, a TikTok wellness trend that’s all about finding cozy, comforting practices to help you relax and unwind. I decided to try out this TikTok trend for myself over the course of three days—and here’s how it went.

What Is Cozymaxxing?

The great thing about this trend is that there is no right way to do it. If you search “cozymaxxing” on TikTok, you’ll see people wrapped in blankets, sitting in candlelight, or petting their cat. I tend to come home and zone out after work, and by the end of the evening, I’m not sure what I did or how it’s suddenly time for bed. So, I decided to be a little more intentional with my downtime by trying the wellness trend. 

What Happened When I Tried Cozymaxxing

On my first night, I wasn’t sure how to get started—what exactly did I find cozy? I love sweets, so I decided to eat my favorite candy on the couch rather than eat it standing in the kitchen, which is what I usually do. I grabbed my gummies from the pantry, snuggled under a throw blanket, fired up Netflix, and enjoyed my treat while watching TV. I found that I ate a bit more slowly so I could prolong the process to last the duration of the show. I noticed the taste of the candy more than when I just grabbed a few pieces and scarfed them down in the kitchen. 

For my second night of cozymaxxing, I watched one of my favorite podcasts on YouTube while lying under the blanket. Typically, I play the podcast in the background while I make dinner, clean up, and do some housework. But by the end of the episode, I don’t even know what’s happened since I was too distracted! After cleaning up after dinner, I fired up YouTube, lay on my couch, and listened to the podcast without rewinding a million times like I normally do. 

It was raining on my final night of cozymaxxing, and I was in a terrible mood because I hate this type of weather. I was so grumpy that I didn’t even want to use any brain power to think about how I should relax! I decided on something simple: I lit a candle, ate some chocolate, and scrolled TikTok on the couch under a blanket. I gave myself a 30-minute time limit because my TikTok scrolling can go on for a little too long otherwise. By the end of the time, I felt a little better thanks to some funny videos. 

Unwinding should be simple, but I often zone out after work without doing anything that feels truly relaxing. I liked that cozymaxxing made me a bit more intentional about the way I unwind, which went a long way in making me feel happier.