Romanticizing life has become a popular practice for young adults.
On Tik Tok, influencers make videos showing their perfect days, starting off with early morning pilates and ending with reading in a pair of cute pajamas.
Like influencers, everyday people also romanticize their lives with routines that make their days better. For some, this could be waking up early to work out or prioritizing a hobby that brings them joy. For others, this could be as simple as listening to music while walking to class or grabbing a coffee on the way to work.
The phrase “romanticizing life” is used to describe the practice of making the most out of each day. By definition, to romanticize is “to treat as idealized” and “to present details, incidents, or people in a romantic way.” Thus, romanticizing life means adopting a mindset that creates beauty, joy, and meaning in everyday moments.
Since beginning my habit of romanticization, I also started to rely on it. I came to expect these pick-me-ups. Doing my homework went from being annoying to being almost impossible without an iced coffee or energy drink. While I was once careful with my money, I became more carefree, spending money on things that I felt I needed to romanticize my life.
So far this semester, I’ve tried to focus on romanticizing my life in more sustainable ways, like listening to music while getting ready, going on walks and studying in new places. Since changing the way I romanticize my life, I’ve been able to be more conscious of my spending. The average American spends more than $1000 a year on coffee , averaging at $14.40 weekly. However, by embracing the habit of romanticizing life in more cost-efficient ways, we can still make the most out of every day while spending less money on the things we feel we need, but don’t really need, to have a good day.
Romanticizing life is a good way to make every day better, but it can quickly become harmful if occasional pick-me-ups become habits that are damaging in the long run. Too much romanticism isn’t really romanticism at all.
