Romanticising the things around you is often seen as a trend on social media, but it is actually deeply grounded in psychology. Specifically, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy where you can reframe your cognitive ability into taking tedious tasks and making them intentional and productive. It’s a shifting of your mindset. However, it is more than what is commonly coined ‘Main Character Energy’, it is putting psychological wellness into action. It’s not making everything about yourself, but rather painting everything in a positive light. For example, have you ever felt the inexplicable need to smile when the sun shines on your face or if you see a couple laughing in a cafe? It can be a joy that you feel in your entire being and it’s all about perspective and mindset.
I also read an article by Andrea Brunetti where she discussed more about the intentionality behind romanticising your life. She notes that when you have an intentional awareness of your surroundings— what you can hear, see, and smell— you’re engaging your parasympathetic nervous system. You are building a whole framework of what you believe deserves your attention, and what holds beauty. By reducing those things down to smaller, mundane tasks you are able to switch your mindset and awareness so it can be easier to find joy day-to-day.
Personally, I am an avid believer in intentionally romanticising daily life. For example, if I know I have work to do in the library that feels overwhelming, I like to choose a cosy playlist to listen to, buy a hot drink and put on a cute/comfy outfit to surround myself with positive things when doing a tedious but necessary task. It applies the same if I need to clean the kitchen, I can pop on a podcast and the time just flies by. Hard tasks can be made easier if you allow these small things to influence the immenseness of these tasks. When these same romanticised habits are repeated consistently, over time those immense tasks won’t feel so big.
By romanticising these tasks, I’d like to note, it doesn’t mean you are ‘pretending’ to be somebody else or comparing your life with someone else’s that appears ‘better’ or more ‘organised’. It’s about understanding that our feelings are big and sometimes we don’t know where to put them, so put them into something small and let everything else feel slightly lighter. It’s different for everyone— don’t romanticise someone else’s life, romanticise YOUR life.