How to romanticise your life

There are certain things in our life that we tell ourselves we enjoy, and there are certain things that we tell ourselves we don't like.

I love watching Netflix and eating ice-cream

I hate going to the gym and eating a salad

It might seem to a lot of people that these things are intrinsically and objectively good and bad. But we need to remind ourselves that it is just our perception when we label things as good or bad. Technically everything just is.

What if you think about it like this:

When I watch Netflix mindlessly on autopilot I feel unproductive and drained of energy. Also each time I eat ice cream it feels good while I'm eating it, but I can tell my mood is impacted by the sugar rush and subsequent crash.

I found a boxing class at the gym with a group of awesome people and I look forward to going to it each week. I also found a Mexican salad with chicken, salsa and avocado that tastes delicious and has become my new favourite lunch!

See how that perception can be flipped.

Try this exercise with the areas in your life that you feel resistance towards or that you feel negativity towards.

For example, maybe you have been telling yourself for a long time that you really dislike deciding what to have for dinner, buying the groceries, preparing the meal and cleaning up afterwards.

But what if you could romanticise this process and sit in gratitude during every step along the way?

Deciding what to eat

Create Pinterest boards of delicious-looking meals, ask your friends and family to share their favourite recipes, create your very own custom recipe book with the meals you actually enjoy eating the most! Romanticising this process is also a way of showing your gratitude for the abundance of food at your disposal. Disliking the decision of what to eat highlights your privilege and acknowledging this with gratitude is a great step towards appreciating your life.

Shopping for supplies

Plan out your shopping list based on the recipes you choose before you head out and put it into categories that match the layout of your local shop. That way, when you are walking around, it is a lot easier and less stressful finding what you need. I also find putting headphones in and listening to a podcast or your favourite playlist makes the shopping experience a lot more enjoyable.

Preparing your food

Be present while you cook and romanticise the process by thrifting aesthetic kitchen items, and make sure you replace any utensils or appliances that annoy you or make the cooking experience worse (a chopping board that is too small, a grater that has feet that constantly fall off, or a can opener that never works the first try). You can also go the extra mile to make your dinner look aesthetically pleasing or buy those little extra garnishes that make your food look fancy.

Eating your meal

It is tempting to put on the TV or a YouTube video to eat your food on autopilot. But every now and then it's nice to treat yourself by using your special crockery, putting on a fresh tablecloth with some candles to decorate the table, and eating your meal with intention and gratitude for the effort that went into preparing it. Be sure to savour every bite and thank your past self for this gift of a home-cooked meal!

Cleaning up the kitchen

Blast some high-energy music on loud, and try cleaning up as you're cooking so there is a lot less to do once you finish dinner. Remember that this is a self-care task and a gift to your future self. Think of your future self as you do the dishes and how grateful they will be to wake up to a clean kitchen.

This is all just an example of how to romanticise one specific area of your life, but there are many areas that might be creating resistance or negativity in your life. Take some time to look more closely at these areas and see if you can brainstorm some ways to romanticise these areas and transform them into something you enjoy.