How to Romanticize Life (Without Spending a Fortune)
⏱ 7 min read
Ever feel like your life is stuck on repeat? To romanticize life life, wake up, work, scroll, sleep and somehow, still feel unfulfilled? You’re not alone. We often wait for big milestones vacations, birthdays, achievements to feel alive. But what if the magic wasn’t in waiting… but in doing just that, every single day?
This blog isn’t about luxury or aesthetics for Instagram. It’s about living with intention, joy, and softness even on a random Tuesday. And no, you don’t need to spend a fortune. You just need to look at your world a little differently.
What Does It Mean to Romanticize Life?
To romanticize your life means to treat everyday moments like they’re scenes in your favorite movie. It’s creating little rituals, slowing down, and learning to find magic in the mundane.
It’s not performative it’s deeply personal. Romanticizing life is lighting a candle for yourself, dressing up for your coffee run, dancing in your room at 10 p.m., or journaling your thoughts with a cup of jaggery tea.
Read: Benefits of Jaggery (Gur)
Why We Need to Romanticize Life Now
In our 20s, life can feel like a blur. Friends are getting married, building careers, or moving away. You’re constantly “doing,” but rarely feeling. That’s why having rituals or 5 to 10 best hobbies that you truly love is a must it’s your emotional anchor.
And in a world of hustle and screen fatigue, this way of living becomes your soft rebellion.
1. Romantic Mornings (Without the Rush)
Mornings are sacred. You don’t need a full-blown sunrise routine but a few intentional touches can change everything.
My Morning Ritual:
Most mornings, I sit in the balcony with my tea, enjoying the view. My mom often sits next to me. Sometimes we talk, sometimes we don’t just music playing softly in the background. On most days, it’s devotional songs and on others, it’s slow, soulful Bollywood music. That moment feels still and grounding.
Try this: Swap your usual phone scroll with a slow sip warm water in your favorite mug. Or open the window, breathe in deeply, and just be for five minutes.
2. Move Your Body, Romanticize the Motion
Romanticizing your life isn’t all stillness it’s also about movement that reconnects you with your body.
Whether it’s a slow evening walk, dancing alone in your room, or doing yoga while listening to a podcast, these gentle movements help release mental clutter.
My Favorite Walk Ritual:
Once every few months, my friends and I head to Juhu Beach early in the morning. We walk with our feet in the water, sit in the sand, and soak in the peace. Post-walk, we always grab a hearty breakfast nearby. Honestly, this is a main-character moment for me. If you’re ever wondering how to spend a day in Mumbai start with Juhu Beach.
3. Turn Cleaning into Therapy
Yes, really. Cleaning can be romantic. When done with the right mindset, it helps organize your space and your thoughts.
My Wardrobe Cleaning Ritual:
On Saturdays or after a stressful work-from-home day, I clean my wardrobe, which also gives me mental clarity. Alexa plays my favorite playlist in the background, and I’m folding, organizing, and clearing the clutter. And the final touch? I spray perfume inside the wardrobe. So every time I open it for the next few days, it smells divine.
Add a candle, playlist, or even a fresh bedsheet to elevate your cleaning session.
4. Spend Intentionally, Not Mindlessly
You don’t need to splurge to romanticize life. You just need to spend on things that feel aligned with your joy.
My Small Indulgences:
Candles are my weakness. I love lighting them at night—usually while sipping ginger hot water and listening to songs. Some of my favorites include:
- Ker (you can use the wax as moisturising oil!)
- Lush (the best smelling ones!)
- Bath & Body Works (great scent, but wax not a fave)
- A friend also gifted me a matcha candle after I fell in love with matcha in Japan.
This isn’t about hoarding. It’s about choosing what adds beauty to your life.
5. Romanticize Your Corners (Yes, Really)
Your environment impacts how you feel. You don’t need a Parisian apartment to feel cozy and creative just a corner that feels like you.
My Cozy Corners:
In every room of my house, we’ve created small seating spaces near window with plants. I often find myself reading, sipping tea, or even writing blogs there. They’re peaceful little hideouts that make me feel instantly at ease.
Try this: Pick one corner, declutter it, add a plant or lamp, and claim it as your sacred space.
6. Romanticize Food, Not Just For Photos
Romanticizing life often starts on your plate. Whether it’s plating your breakfast beautifully or sipping a latte at a cozy corner café, food can instantly elevate your day.
To truly romanticize your food and ambiance, explore the best cafes in Bandra that are highly rated for their unique charm rather than falling for the overhyped cafes in Bandra that don’t deliver the same experience.
Even something as simple as trying a best dessert places in your city, tasting a local dish, or eating very basic food like vada pav can make your daily routine feel like a scene out of a movie.
Try: Best Vada Pav Spots in Mumbai
7. Journal, Reflect, and Romanticize the Mind
Romanticizing life also means slowing down mentally. Journaling, reflection, or mindful writing helps you reconnect with your purpose.
My Journaling Setup:
I love sitting in our home’s green nooks pouring thoughts out on paper or on my laptop. Some of my favorite ideas have come while journaling. You don’t need a fancy notebook just 10 minutes of raw honesty.
When I was growing up, I even took this a step further I used to rate myself every month in 10 different areas like food, relationships, mental health, physical health, etc giving myself marks out of 10. It was such a cool self-reflection ritual. Somewhere along the way, I stopped, but writing this makes me think: you and I should start doing this again.
Journaling isn’t just about words; it’s about self-awareness, and little practices like this make it more meaningful.
Bonus Read: Power of Writing Down Goals
8. Add Music to Moments
Music is the fastest way to shift your mood. I romanticize my life by playing specific playlists for cleaning, walks, late-night showers, or weekend chill sessions.
Create your own playlists:
- Morning calm (instrumentals or devotionals)
- Evening cozy (soft pop, lo-fi, or 90s Bollywood)
- Clean & Slay (energetic hits or your power songs)
Final Thoughts: Romanticizing Life = Choosing Joy Daily
You don’t need Paris. You don’t need a filter. You need presence. That’s how you romanticize life.
It’s not about escaping reality it’s about building a reality you don’t want to escape from.
Start with reading a book (read: How to develop reading habit), a cleaned-up corner, a peaceful walk, or a candle-lit evening. Do it not for the camera, but for the version of you that deserves softness, beauty, and intention.
This is your sign: Make your ordinary feel extraordinary.
