How to Romanticize Your Life

On social media, the hashtag hashtag #romanticizeyourlife shows thousands of posts of people drinking lattes, reading in the park, visiting farmers markets, hanging their laundry out to dry, and baking a comfort meal. A viral IG reel sound captures the idea perfectly: “You’ll never regret romanticizing your life. Take the smallest moments and make them into something beautiful.”

So, what does it mean to "romanticize your life"?

For me, romanticizing my life means focusing, staying in the moment, and both noticing and valuing the small, yet significant, aspects that make up my life.

Salt Lake City-based Ashley Kipps, a content creator on TikTok and IG whose cottage-core content focuses on slow living and romanticizing life says, “It’s about not waiting around for the big, grand moments in your life and those milestones to be able to genuinely enjoy things, because the reality is, our lives are not filled with exponentially incredible things every single day. I just really try to find joy in everyday life and make those mundane tasks, or responsibilities that are just essential needs of being a human, and try to make them fun and engaging."

Here are 3 simple steps to help you "romanticize your life":

1.) Taking inventory of the things that we’re already doing and think about ways you can make them more pleasant (this could be writing out your grocery list, vacuuming, making the bed, preparing a meal).

2.) Now that you have your list, think about how can you do these "ordinary, everyday things" and make them more special? Maybe it's putting on a favourite song while you're cleaning, using the "good" dishes and glassware to plate dinner or lighting candles and eating by candlelight, or putting your favourite linens on your bed.

3.) At the end of the day, the biggest thing you can do to romanticize your life is to notice and appreciate the things that make you feel alive. When your meal tastes delicious, savour it. When you have a great conversation with a friend, be present and take it in (practice active listening!).

You don't need to purchase new items or completely alter your routine to romanticize your life. It's about appreciating what you already have, having fun, finding joy, and seeing life through a lens of gratitude for the opportunity to live each day. Just let it be beautiful.

Is this something you would practice or something you already do?

~Kate