Moments Of Beauty In Everyday Life: Romanticize Your Life For Improved Mental Health
The concept of “romanticizing your own life” has spread widely across social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. This practice involves intentionally cultivating appreciation and gratitude for the joy and beauty in everyday moments, from your morning cup of coffee to a bowl of fresh fruit. It can be thought of as a method of pushing back against the way social media can lead a person to feel envious of the way someone else’s life is portrayed online without recognizing what’s good about their own. Here, we’ll explore the concept of romanticizing your life in depth, including ways you can practice it and how it may benefit mental health.
What does it mean to romanticize your life? Finding moments of beauty in everyday life
Romanticizing your life can be defined as the practice of viewing ordinary moments as special. It can involve taking a step back to appreciate the joy or beauty in the small things. For many people, it’s about mindfulness and gratitude for the simple pleasures of everyday life.
Romanticizing your life can be as involved as making yourself a nice dinner at home and eating it at the table or taking photos and writing poems to archive ordinary days. Conversely, it can be as simple as people-watching at your local park or savoring the feeling of clean sheets or the sun on your face. Romanticization can look different for each person, but it’s generally about being present and appreciating the good in what’s in front of you.
Where does the concept of romanticizing your life come from?
Almost 500,000 posts on TikTok currently have the hashtag “#romanticizeyourlife,” making it one of the platform’s many viral lifestyle trends. This hashtag can be found on everything from black-and-white filtered photos of a beach day with friends to a video of one’s morning cup of coffee on a windowsill, set to calming music. Some people have associated the concept with having “main character energy” or pretending you’re in a period drama. In their many forms, such posts have inspired many people to adopt the practice of finding beauty and value in life’s little moments.
A note about the “romanticize your life” practice in everyday life
The potential mental health benefits of romanticizing your life
Can there be real mental health benefits to this social media trend? Below are some potential positive effects of making an effort to romanticize your life regularly.
Increased gratitude for moments of beauty
Taking a few minutes to notice the little things that bring a smile to your face can help you cultivate a stronger sense of gratitude. An article published by UCLA Health reviews research suggesting that a regular gratitude practice may have the power to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, particularly in conjunction with professional treatment. Gratitude may also reduce stress, promote a positive and lasting shift in perspective, and help a person cultivate overall mental wellness.
Higher levels of mindfulness
Mindfulness generally refers to cultivating a sense of nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment—whether that’s how you feel emotionally or physically, or what’s going on around you. Mindfulness in the context of romanticizing your life could look like admiring new shoots on your houseplant, savoring the fresh smell of the breeze coming through your window, noticing the warmth you feel when hearing a friend laugh, or recognizing how special it is to have your pet greet you with excitement when you come home.
Research suggests that mindfulness may have a variety of potential health benefits. For example, one study suggests that practicing mindfulness regularly may improve psychological well-being and emotional regulation.
Reduced stress
The mindfulness associated with romanticizing your life can help you slow down. As a result, you may be better able to notice when you feel stressed and take measures to help yourself unwind—or you may come to notice that you often feel less stressed overall.
Light a candle, pour a glass of wine, start reading more, and beyond: Ways to romanticize your life
There’s no one way to romanticize your life, because each person’s life is different, and different things bring each individual joy. Instead, you might find it useful to consider a few broader practices that may help you attune yourself to the good things naturally.
Pause more often
Life can be hectic, and it’s sometimes easy to rush through without making time to notice the little things. It doesn’t have to take much to do this more often, either. You might simply pause and take a deep breath of fresh morning air when you walk your dog, appreciating what’s beautiful about your neighborhood. Or you might pause and spend some intentional time noticing the aroma of the food you’re about to eat, feeling gratitude for the joy and nourishment it’s about to bring you. Reciting positive affirmations in these moments may help you experience more appreciation. You might try repeating affirmations like, “My life is beautiful,” or “I’m finding joy in this moment.”
Light a candle, pour a glass of wine, start reading, or use something you’ve been saving
Romanticizing your life can be about finding what’s special about each day and celebrating that, even just by noticing and appreciating it. One way to do this may be to use something you’ve been saving—and to be mindful of how much you enjoy it.
For instance, you might light a candle and cozy up with that library book you’ve been waiting to check out, pour yourself a glass of wine or your favorite tea and start mindfully sipping it to celebrate the fact that it’s Wednesday, or wear an outfit or perfume you’ve been saving for a special occasion.
Do things the slow way to romanticize your life
When you have time, doing certain tasks “the slow way,” in a focused and intentional manner, can be a method of adding a little romance to your life. This could mean walking to the store instead of driving, making your favorite forms of coffee or tea at home instead of buying a cup, taking a bath instead of showering, or deciding to call a friend or write letters to catch up instead of texting them. While doing tasks quickly can be convenient and sometimes necessary and is not always a bad thing, it can be refreshing to slow down and do things in a slower, more connected way when possible.
When the “romanticize your life” practice isn’t enough
The practice of romanticizing your own life may increase gratitude and mindfulness, but it may not be enough if you're facing certain challenges. If you’re experiencing signs of a mental health condition or are struggling with emotional challenges related to work stress, relationship conflict, or something else, help is available. A therapist can provide a safe space where you can talk about what's bothering you and receive meaningful support that’s tailored to your needs. Talk therapy is also the first-line treatment for many mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety disorders.
Exploring online individual therapy or couples therapy
While therapy can be a helpful resource for many people, attending in-person sessions isn't always feasible. For example, having few qualified therapists in your area or not being able to travel to and from appointments due to physical challenges or transportation issues could make attending in-office therapy difficult.
In such cases, online therapy might be a more convenient option. It allows you to attend virtual sessions with a licensed therapist from anywhere you have an internet connection. That means you can get quality support via audio, video call, or live chat from wherever you feel most comfortable. Plus, online therapy can be more affordable than in-person therapy without insurance.
Platforms for online individual therapy or couples therapy
BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, with a network of over 30,000 licensed therapists. When you sign up with BetterHelp, you can get matched with a provider according to your needs and preferences, as outlined in an onboarding questionnaire. You can then meet with them virtually at times that suit your schedule. You can also change therapists at any time for no additional cost until you find the right fit. Or, if you're looking for couples therapy, you can find similar features through BetterHelp’s couples therapy platform, Regain.
What the research says
There's a growing body of research suggesting that online therapy is as effective as traditional in-person care. For example, a study from 2021 suggests that online therapy is “no less efficacious” than in-person sessions for treating anxiety disorders, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Takeaway
What is the psychology behind romanticizing life?
Romanticization is largely based on the concepts of gratitude and mindfulness. It involves paying attention to the small moments of each day, adding some fun to them, and being grateful for them. In a life filled with nonstop responsibilities, romanticization can have a notable impact.
What is the romanticizing life trend?
Romanticizing your life is generally about experiencing appreciation for simple pleasures in daily life, such as your morning coffee, a chat with a family member, or a quiet moment before bedtime. Engaging in this trend, which you may have seen discussed by a content creator online, may make a difference in your mood and promote inspiration.
What is an example of romanticizing something?
Romanticizing something usually involves mindful awareness. For example, if you’re drinking a cup of tea, you might make the experience more romantic by listening to music you enjoy, looking out the window to appreciate the view, and fully experiencing the taste and smell of the tea. Romanticizing multiple moments throughout the course of the day may become one of your favorite ways to get more enjoyment out of life.
What happens when you romanticize someone?
Romanticizing another person can be similar to wearing rose-colored glasses. It can lead you to overestimate a person’s good qualities and overlook their flaws rather than seeing them as a fully formed individual with their own strengths and weaknesses.
Is it healthy to romanticize your life?
It can be healthy to romanticize your life. Engaging with this idea can help you realize how many positive experiences you get to partake in each day. It may also lead you to recognize that the small moments are often what truly matter.
How do I romanticize my life more?
You can romanticize your life more by slowing down and paying attention to each moment. Putting a positive spin on what may seem like mundane moments can create space to make the most of the experiences you go through each day or week.
What are the benefits of romanticizing your life?
Potential benefits of romanticizing your life may include the following:
- Increased joy and gratitude
- A sense of having enough time in the day rather than rushing through life
- Becoming more in touch with your thoughts and emotions
- Decreased stress and increased relaxation
How can you romanticize your life at work?
A few ways to romanticize your life at work may include shifting your mindset to be more positive, decorating or personalizing your workspace, celebrating small achievements, taking a short walk on your lunch break, and packing snacks or a meal you enjoy. Finding small things to be excited about can create more joy in your professional life.
Why is it important to romanticize your life?
Romanticizing your life can serve as a simple way to promote happiness and a connection with the present moment. It often involves mindfulness, which has many evidence-backed benefits for mental and physical health.
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