First, to preface, what is romanticizing?
Romanticizing is the art of embracing the wonders of everyday life and cherishing every moment.

What we see in the picture above: a cute picnic, an enjoyable day, a life full of meaning.

However, what often goes unseen is the effort, the cooking, and the cleaning that goes into preparing the meal. The money spent on food, candles, drinks, and the book. And let’s not forget the careful planning behind it all. We tend to focus only on the visual aspect, just what the lens captures. Romanticizing invites us to recognize the beauty in every detail. It’s similar to wearing rose-colored glasses when walking around and seeing beauty on every corner,” as Josephine Kinlan ’22 puts it.

How do we Romanticize?

We romanticize by tapping into the imaginative side of our brains, allowing ourselves to find joy in every step of the journey—whether it’s cooking, cleaning, studying, working, or tackling life’s challenges. This approach helps to cultivate a more optimistic perspective on the world, fostering an intent to lead happier lives

Romanticizing everything, especially the tasks that we wish we could just skip through, can give us more motivation to take them head-on, all the while enjoying the process and feeling a greater sense of fulfillment afterward. It is not uncommon for us to contemplate the journey towards our goals, pondering how long it will take to complete a task. We question our abilities and wonder if we’ll ever achieve what we set out to do.

The Positive Impact of Romanticizing

These thoughts can be demotivating and even paralyzing, leading us to feel lost in our own minds and regrettably allowing our precious time to slip away. As we stress and fixate on what lies ahead, we unintentionally waste valuable time that could be spent productively. Moreover, we create an anxious and uncomfortable mental space to navigate. Instead of basking in fulfillment upon finishing our tasks, we often just feel a sense of relief that it’s finally over.

Once we realize the power we have within and the potential that lies ahead, waiting for us to use it to better ourselves, our whole life can change. It is up to us and nobody else. If we bring awareness to how our thoughts affect us, shape our reality, and the impact they have on our emotions, we can understand that we have a powerful weapon at our disposal.

By learning about mental hygiene, as well as practicing it in our day-to-day lives, we plant a seed that grows rapidly. We cannot change our lifestyle and habits overnight. However, what we can do is implement a change one day and stick to it. After some time passes, you will notice you are a different, happier, and healthier person. Time will pass anyway. We might as well use it to improve our lives and grow. Sounds pretty awesome, right?

Conclusion

Giving a chance to romanticize can help you enjoy your day to the fullest. Furthermore, it can help you deal with tasks that you otherwise find stressful and find yourself avoiding. Challenges and adaptation to new and difficult surroundings lie ahead for all of us. At the end of the day, everything is about perspective. What we choose to do about it is what really counts.