How to romanticise your life without feeling silly
romanticising your life workbook
When I think of romanticising my life, the inital thought that comes to mind are the social media influencers portraying the 'cottagecore' lifestyle. They just seem to float around and have all the time in the world and whilst I have to remember that not everything I see on social media is exactly what it seems like, it does look really light and lovely and I wonder if I can incorporate elements of it.
At times the idea of romanticising our lives sounds impractical or frivolous. Being Type A we are focused and disciplined and driven so why would we waste time making mundane things an ‘experience’ instead of a ‘task’?
Because we want to live a softer life.
To live a softer life we need to slow down and be more appreciative of the regular things. The constant need to be efficient and productive in my case is resulting in life being harder - the pressure I put on myself is too much. I want my days to feel meaningful, artistic and beautifully lived - but without the loss of the structure and control that makes me feel secure.
The good news is we don’t have to abandon our nature to cultivate a more romantic and creatively fulfilling life. We can still have order and efficiency but live more intentionally and recognise moments of joy if we romanticise life on our own terms in a way that aligns with our personality.
Why romanticising life works - even for Type A Personalities
This isn’t about pretending reality is something that it is not. It is about shifting the perspective to see daily movements as art, routines and rituals, creativity as sacred and not just being productive.
It allows us to:
Find meaning in small amounts instead of waiting for big achievements
Reduce stress by turning tasks into enjoyable experiences instead of obligations
Increase creativity by engaging with life in a sensorial way, rather than just mentally
Create softness without sacrificing structure because beauty and control can coexist.
I do thrive upon planning, efficiency and control and I am grateful that romanticising my life doesn’t mean letting go of these traits. It means using them to craft a life that feels as good as it looks.
So how to romanticise your life without feeling silly?
- Turn routines into rituals
You already have structure in your day...now refine it into something intentional and beautiful. Instead of rushing through routines like a checklist, elevate them:
Morning tea/coffee: instead of gulping it down while checking emails, make it a ceremony. For some time now, on days when I am at home, I have been having my tea sitting in a sunny spot whilst mindfully setting myself up for the day. I then do some yoga breathing and some meditation.
Skincare routine - approach it like self care rather than a chore. Use luxurious textures, deep breaths, perhaps soft music. I have been buying raw organic ingredients and making my own creams and soaps just to do something different and of course investing in some nice products that are good for my skin is also a form a self care.
Work time - creating a workspace that feels less harsh…candles, playlist, cosy blanket (particularly handy in the winter months!). If not working at home, you can still take a nice throw with you to the office. Having a nice water bottle and stationery also elevates the work environment.
2. Create a soft atmosphere with small touches
A grand aesthetic overall is not needed to romanticise your life. Simple details can transform your environment into something intentional.
Using ambient lighting - fairy lights, candles, warm lamps instead of harsh overhead lighting (harder to do when working in someone else's office admittedly - when I find indoor lighting harsh, I try to take a break, ideally going outside for fresh air).
Having fresh flowers or a single stem in a glass on your desk. I have some lovely faux flowers around my home and occasionally fresh ones. Fresh herbs like Rosemary from the garden add a lovely fragrance when you crunch up the leaves or adding to hot water to make a herbal tea.
Choose rich textures - silk pillowcases (great for hair and skin), cosy knit throws, linen notebooks.
Play intentional background music - curating a playlist to suit your mood is an easy way to enhance how you are feeling.
3. Engage your senses daily
Control focused minds often stay in logic mode. Romanticising our lives means bringing in the senses. The more sensory the experience, the richer and more creative our lives feel.
Smell - essential oils, fresh herbs, scented candles, reed diffusers.Taste - indulge in foods with intention - dark chocolate (I’ve been adding cacao powder and double cream to my breakfast of granola and kefir which is making it feel a lot more luxurious!), herbal teas, fresh bread.
Touch - soft fabrics, warm baths, cosy cardigans.
Sight - aesthetic details - curated bookshelves, soft neutral tones, natural beauty.
Sound - sounds of nature (YouTube or the Calm app is great for nature soundtracks if you live in a busy urban environment).
Whilst I love a to do list…I’m intentionally trying to not let life blur past in a haze of them and would rather fully experience each moment, especially with more gratitude. Maybe it is my age.
4. Slow down without losing productivity
Slowing down doesn’t mean becoming lazy. It means working with time rather than against it. A softer life is about moving intentionally, not rushing mindlessly.
Batch tasks so as not to lose focus.
Create some ‘buffer time’ between activities so the day flows instead of feeling ‘choppy’.
Add pockets of slowness by sitting outside for a few minutes in the morning (weather permitting - sometimes I just open a window if it’s winter), doing stretching exercises before bed and then reading rather than scrolling.
Romanticise waiting - turn mundane tasks like queuing or commuting into opportunities to breathe deeply, observe or daydream.
A softer life means controlling your time instead of letting it control you.
5. Infuse creativity into everyday life
You don’t have to be an artist to live creatively. Romanticising life means infusing creativity into the mundane.
For example:
Hand write grocery lists in lovely writing (I love writing with my favourite fountain pens).
Plate your lunch like a work of art or as an Instagram Foodie would.
Take a different route home to see new things. It is good for the brain to get out of a routine.
Wear outfits that make you feel something - elegant, cosy, artistic.
Type A Control Freaks love structure, we might as well make the structure artistic!
6. Let days have a narrative
Romanticising life is about seeing days as a part of a larger, meaningful story. Bringing Main Character Energy means giving our lives depth.
Think of your days in chapters - what is the theme? Cosy, introspective, productive, structured, playful, light?
Introduce seasonal traditions - evening walks in the summer, journalling rituals in autumn.
Embrace symbolic acts - closing a book or laptop with intention, lighting a candle before writing, putting on perfume to start the day (I do the latter every day even if I’m not going anywhere…it just elevate my mood).
Shaping our lives like a story gives intention and makes each day worth savouring.
7. Reframe productivity as art
Type A personalities thrive on productivity. What if we saw productivity as an art form instead of just efficiency?
A well planned week can feel as satisfying a creative endeavour.
A neatly organised home is as beautiful as a gallery. OK I may be overdoing it here but hopefully you understand it's about the reframe. A completed project is not just work but a creative expression.
Romanticising our lives is not about doing less but doing it more beautiful. I have been thinking of the term ‘a beautiful life’ recently and then actively making that a reality for mine.
Conclusion
When I see magazine articles or Instagram Feeds of other people’s lives I have to remember that first of all, it might not be real and / or a lot of effort when into styling it to look a certain way. I think about how I can style my own life on my own terms that is curated to make me feel good and not for a show for the public. This takes the pressure off.
As a control focused introvert I don’t want to abandon structure to live a romanticised life. Instead I am attempting to infuse structure with beauty, meaning and creativity.
Small shifts - like treating morning routines as rituals, using sense intentionally and slowing down without losing productivity allow us to live a life that feels softer, richer and more fulfilling.
It isn’t silly to want a life that feels beautiful. It is not indulgent to slow down and savour things. The world is moving fast but we get to choose how we experience it.