There’s a lot of talk on the Internet about how to romanticize your life, which basically just means taking the time to appreciate what you have and allow yourself the nice things and little treats that make life feel a little more special.
What Does it Mean to Romanticize Your Life?
Posts about romanticizing your life often include advice about things like waking up earlier to write in a journal or have a slow cup of coffee before diving into the day. They all seem to recommend multiple curated playlists to use throughout the day.
The idea behind them is great. We’re all so busy, rushing through life, just trying to get through the day (and the news cycle) without completely losing our minds.
Romanticizing your life is a fancier sounding term for living simply or living slowly. Some people might call it embracing the mundane.
It’s not about accepting things that you don’t like in your life. Instead, you focus on what you already love and add more little things that will make you smile, take a moment of calm and remember that this is the whole point after all.
The Trouble with Romance
The intentions behind these articles about how to romanticize your life is good. (I mean, I’m writing one right now so I don’t hate it). But these kinds of articles kind of exhaust me.
We have enough going on without adding on a bunch more things, even if they are things that will improve the quality of our lives, or at least the way we think about our lives.
Plus, adding on these things is a privilege not all of us can take on.
If you have little kids you might not have extra time in the mornings, and you guard every moment of rest like a jewel.
If you work outside the home, you probably don’t feel like you have any extra time to devote to things, even if you would love them.
Or if you’re on a budget (aren’t we all?) maybe you can’t afford a box of tea or a scented candle. Or maybe you hate scented candles, and that’s the one thing standing between you and perfect Zen (kidding! I hate scented candles, too).
So while the idea is sound, sometimes it feels really unrealistic.
We’re going to try not to do that.
How to Romanticize Your Life When You’re Super Busy
Because the truth is those times when you are feeling stretched so thin and super busy are exactly the times you need quiet rituals, calm spaces and, yes, time, to feel the romance (or even just the pretty-goodness) of your life.
So how do we do that? Here are a few ideas that I hope will feel doable, no matter what else is going on in your life.
Take a few breaths: If you don’t feel like you have time for anything else, take a few deep breaths. If you can, inhale for a count of four, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four. Repeat four or five times.
Notice something good: If you want to start a gratitude journal, or a noticing journal, you totally can, but it’s also nice to just get in the habit of paying attention to things and noticing little details. Maybe it’s the way the sun is slanting through the clouds on your drive home from work, or that the daffodils are blooming. Maybe your kid said something funny or did something sweet. Just paying attention and acknowledging a good thing will get you in the habit of noticing more.
Have a mindful drink: Whether it’s tea, coffee, water or whatever you like, pay attention while you’re preparing it. Maybe try to make it a little more special than normal: add lemon or milk to your tea, sprinkle cinnamon on your coffee or add fruit to your water. Then try to drink it mindfully as well, really tasting it and enjoying it.
Get outside: If you have enough time, go for a walk (bonus points if you can do it with someone else). If you don’t, go stand outside for a few minutes. Look at the moon, or just take some deep breaths and observe what’s going on in the world. If you can, take off your shoes and stand on the earth for a few minutes.
Clear a little space: You know I’m all about decluttering, and I love a cleared off horizontal surface. Even if it’s just the corner of the counter or your bedside table, a little open space can make you feel a little better, fast. And it will probably spread to other surfaces and spaces, which is all to the good.
If You Have More Time
The ideas for how to romanticize your life above are all pretty quick projects, but if you have a little more time, or want to do something more consistently, here are some more ideas.
Start a journal: Whether you’re writing a line a day, doing morning pages or just collecting quotes from things you read, having a journaling practice helps you to be more mindful and pay attention through the day.
Work on a hobby: I assume if you’re intentionally visiting a site called Minimalist Crafter that you already have a hobby or a few. (If you don’t, now’s a great time to start and I have a ton of ideas to get you started.) Carving out a little time daily or weekly to work on a hobby is a great way to feel in control of something, express yourself and build a little romance into your life.
Do more reading: Reading gives us a glimpse into other people’s lives, even fictional ones, that increases our empathy. I believe any kind of reading makes us smarter, and definitely makes us more fun in conversation. Level up by going to the library regularly. Load up on as many books as you can carry. Don’t worry if you have time to read them all. But any time you can spend reading is a good time.
Go analog: You might have noticed none of these suggestions have anything to do with using your computer or phone. That’s because real life is not on a screen. So really anything you can do that’s more in the world than on a device is going to be great for you to notice and appreciate what you have. Take some time to think about things that can help keep you off your phone or computer and build an analog bag for when you leave the house (or even in the house) and use it regularly.
Establish a ritual: A pro-level way to romanticize your life is to add rituals to your day or week. Any of the above options could become a ritual if it’s done consistently, such as making a mindful beverage and drinking it while you write in your journal. It could be lighting a candle (yes, even a scented one) when you get home from work, taking time to read a book for 30 minutes on Sunday afternoon or taking 20 minutes after the kids go to bed to work on a hobby. As long as it’s something you’ll enjoy and that’s meaningful to you, it’s a perfect way to romanticize your life.
I’d love to hear your ideas for how to romanticize your life when it feels like you’ve already got too much going on.
