The opinions expressed in this article are the writerâs own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Her Campus.Â
Romanticizing your life is easier than you might think, and a simple change of mindset can take you from tolerating your life to thriving in it! These tips and little anecdotes are meant to help you reframe your thinking, but whatâs most important is to have fun with it.
What is Romanticization?
Romanticization is essentially the practice of la vie en rose which means âI am looking at the world through rose-colored glasses.â It means that appreciating mundane activities like walking your dog, cleaning your room, or doing homework can elicit positive feelings and make life so much more enjoyable. Romanticization doesnât require you to live a romantic or aesthetic life like the daily videos seen on TikTok. It does, however, require you to view your daily events or activities in a romantic way. It takes time and I can admit to feeling a bit silly at times, but trust me when I say that romanticizing your life is as simple as thinking about each of your daily activities in a more positive light. It makes your daily life exciting and filled with new adventures so that each day brings something new to the table
How Do You Do It?
The key to romanticizing your life is acknowledging that life itself is fleeting. This might seem counterintuitive or depressing. However, this is key because youâre aware that your sweet quiet moments in life wonât last forever. Itâs quiet and allows you to appreciate life in its simplicity. I embrace the small moments of my life by acknowledging the routine activities I am particularly fond of, and also the ones that maybe arenât as appreciated. The routine activities I absolutely love are reading, watching Gilmore girls, and listening to music. Those are the moments that I actively love doing and try to fit in the most in my life. However, I take for granted the walk on the way to campus or even being in lecture. These are daily activities that may sound mundane, but with a mindset switch can even make me look forward to them. Something I do that can help in moments like these is listen to music EVERYWHERE. I will link playlists that I play most often depending on circumstance and season. Another major tip I do is to pause myself in the middle of an act and reflect on what Iâm doing and just appreciate the moment. This simple action allows me to become fully present in the moment and savor it. My last tip is to have dance parties in your room, it helps add a little bit of fun to my day and is something anyone can do. Romanticization is a mindset switch and it takes constant work, but itâs so worth it once you build it as a habit.
Why?
I know hearing all these tips may seem sort of silly and youâre wondering why youâd even make all this effort in the first place, but the way I think about it is that we only live life once and some people donât start living until theyâre dying. What if I told you every minute that passes weâre all dying? Every moment is fleeting, you will never be this same age again, youâll never be in this exact place in life again. That fact matters whether youâre in an amazing time in your life or rock bottom. Nothing lasts forever, and thatâs why Iâm writing this article. I want to push people to appreciate all the random, beautiful, challenging, and unique moments life throws their way. Whether these exact tips work for you or not, I hope that you try to implement these ideas in a way that works for you in your life so that you can lead with a positive outlook.
SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS:
John Hughes Teen Movies Soundtrack (SebastiĂĄn Galaviz):
I love this playlist when I feel like a true young adult. I usually listen when I walk on campus and am in an observant kind of mood. This playlist is filled with hits from staple 80âs movies like Pretty in Pink, Breakfast Club, and Ferris Buellerâs Day Off.Â
Y2k Clubbing Scene (ellejaynec):
I like this when Iâm driving or on my way to go shopping. I just feel very girly and it doesnât hurt to listen to Britney Spears, itâs good for the soul in my opinion.
Calm Classical Reading Music (amber):
I LOVE this playlist when Iâm reading and I want to feel like Iâm in Pride & Prejudice. Lyrics usually distract me so this playlist is mostly instrumental but itâs one of my favorites.
Melancholy (gianna_vasquez):
Iâm not going to lie, this playlist is by me. However, I love listening to this playlist in the winter time because itâs filled with Frank Sinatra, Elvis, and Billy Joel. Itâs such a good reflecting playlist and itâs very relaxing.Â
Best Dance Party Playlists:
Teenage Girl Dancing in Her Room (lily<3):
Old Taylor Swift Songs (madeline):