If you’ve ever heard someone, say they’re learning to “romanticize your life,” you might have wondered what the phrase means but in reality, it is simple, it’s the art of looking at ordinary moments as if they’re extraordinary, almost like scenes from a movie, novel or even a painting. Imagine sipping a glass of wine at sunset and treating it not as a routine act, but as a moment worth remembering. That, in essence, is the spirit of romanticizing.
But to fully understand how this mindset came to be, we need to ask: What is Romanticism? Originally, Romanticism was an eighteenth century and nineteenth century literary movement that celebrated emotion, imagination, and the beauty of the natural world. People like William Wordsworth, John Keats, and Lord Byron shaped the romantic movement, while Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley explored more complex and sometimes darker sides of love, creation, and the human spirit. The movement wasn’t just about literature—it influenced philosophy, art, and even daily life.
Today, when people talk about how to romanticize your life, they’re channeling those same ideals from the past into the present. Just as early Romantic writers and thinkers—such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau—found meaning in beauty, freedom, and individuality, modern readers are rediscovering how to create beauty out of the mundane. Whether it’s through journaling, noticing the details of your surroundings, or curating your routines, the essence is the same: turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.
21 Ways to Romanticize Your Life
Learning how to romanticize your life doesn’t mean pretending everything is perfect. It means slowing down, seeing beauty in the ordinary, and treating yourself as the main character of your own story. Here are ten ways I’ve practiced this in my own life—and how you can too.
1. Begin Your Morning Slowly
Instead of rushing out of bed, open your curtains, stretch, and listen to the sounds outside. When I first tried this, I realized how much calmer my days felt. To me, this small ritual captures the essence of what it truly means to romanticize your life—ordinary actions made extraordinary.
2. Create a Morning Ritual You Love
For me, it’s coffee in a favorite mug. For you, it might be tea, journaling your thoughts, or a short meditation. The early Romantic writers like William Wordsworth often began their day with long walks in the natural world—we can adapt that same spirit to our mornings today.
3. Take Walks Without Distractions
One of the most healing things I do is walk without my phone. I notice the sky, the trees, even snippets of conversation. It feels almost like stepping into a nineteenth century novel where every detail is part of the subject matter of life.
4. Read Something Beautiful Each Day
It doesn’t have to be a full book. Sometimes I’ll open a poem by John Keats or a passage by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Other days, I’ll scroll through a saved quote on social media. The point is to give your mind something inspiring beyond the noise—a small, intentional way to romanticize your life.
5. Carry a Notebook
I started writing down thoughts, descriptions of places, or even overheard phrases. It reminded me of how romantic movement authors captured fleeting emotions. Your notebook becomes your own little collection of beauty—like your personal literary movement.
6. Use Light Intentionally
Candles, string lights, or even dimming your lamp at night can transform a space. It’s such a small change, but it makes ordinary evenings feel like a scene painted by a romantic artist.
7. Make Playlists for Your Moods
I have a playlist for rainy days, another for cooking, and one that feels like sitting with Lord Byron in a candlelit study. Music is one of the simplest ways to shift your atmosphere and romanticize your life, turning everyday moments into something poetic.
8. Buy Yourself Flowers
The first time I bought myself flowers, I felt a little silly. But every time I walked by them, I smiled. It’s the kind of everyday luxury that says: my life deserves beauty.
9. Dress for Yourself
Even if you’re staying in, wear something that makes you feel confident or cozy. It could be as simple as lipstick with sweatpants, or a soft sweater that makes you feel like a character in Mary Shelley’s letters—small choices that help you romanticize your life every day.
10. Curate Your Space
Surround yourself with little things that bring you joy—photos, a thrifted vase, a stack of books, or materials for your favorite hobbies like sketching, knitting, or playing music. I think of it as building the set design of my own story. It doesn’t need to be expensive; it just needs to be intentional.
11. Narrate Your Life Like a Story
Sometimes I catch myself thinking, “She walked into the café, ordered her latte, and sat by the window with her notebook.” It sounds silly, but giving your day a little narration makes life feel like part of a novel. Even Henry David Thoreau believed in paying attention to the poetry of everyday living.
12. Turn Chores Into Rituals
Instead of rushing through dishes or laundry, I’ll play music, light a candle, and make it a small ceremony. Samuel Taylor Coleridge once wrote about finding beauty in the simplest subject matter—and this mindset transforms the mundane.
13. Celebrate Sunsets and Moons
I make it a habit to watch sunsets whenever I can. Sometimes I even pour a glass of wine and sit quietly, as if the sky is putting on a private performance. These moments remind me of the awe that early Romantic writers felt toward the natural world.
14. Notice Beauty in Small Things
The smell of fresh bread, the sound of rain, the way light falls across the floor—these are the details that make life feel cinematic. The romantic movement was obsessed with details like this, elevating them into art.
15. Capture Moments Like Scenes
I’ll take photos of ordinary things: my coffee cup, a shadow on the wall, or my favorite corner in a bookstore. It feels like documenting my own literary movement, where everyday life becomes worth remembering.
16. Write Letters (Even If You Don’t Send Them)
Sometimes I write letters to friends, past versions of myself, or even to no one at all. It feels timeless, like something dark romantic authors or Percy Bysshe Shelley might have done when reflecting on love, longing, and memory—simple ways to romanticize your life.
17. Host Small Gatherings
Inviting a couple of friends over for a meal or a cozy movie night creates magic. It reminds me of how Mary Shelley and her circle—Lord Byron and Coleridge—shared stories by candlelight. Romanticism wasn’t just art, it was connection.
18. Speak in Compliments
I’ve learned that when you speak kindly, it changes the air around you. Compliments feel like adding a brushstroke to someone else’s painting, the way a romantic artist would highlight beauty in their subject.
19. Mark Small Milestones
Finished a book? Celebrate it. Survived a rough week? Light a candle, make tea, and toast to yourself—these little rituals are simple ways to practice how to romanticize your life every day.
20. Try Something New Slowly
I once tried painting just for fun, and though it wasn’t “good,” it was freeing. The dark romanticism side of me even loves exploring art forms that bring out mystery and shadow. Life feels richer when you give yourself space to experiment.
21. See Yourself as the Protagonist
At the heart of how to romanticize your life is this: you are the main character. Don’t wait for someone else to create the story for you. The way John Keats or Ralph Waldo Emerson infused passion into their words—you can infuse passion into your days. Treat your life as something worth living slowly, beautifully, and intentionally.
Conclusion: Living the Spirit of Romanticism
To romanticize your life isn’t about pretending everything is perfect—it’s about slowing down, paying attention, and finding meaning in the details. That’s really the heart of learning how to romanticize your life: treating ordinary days as extraordinary.
When I light a candle at night, walk without my phone, or savor a quiet cup of coffee, I feel connected to the same spirit that inspired poets and dreamers centuries ago. The romantic movement may have started as a literary and artistic wave, but its lessons still echo today: life is richer when we notice beauty, embrace feeling, and create little rituals that make us feel alive.
Whether it’s journaling, watching the sunset, or simply narrating your day like a scene in a novel, you get to decide what your story looks like. And maybe that’s the most romantic idea of all.
