Romanticizing Small Things

Terri Park | January 30, 2023

Photo courtesy: Olivia Sung

The concept of “romanticization” has been around forever. However, it only recently started to gain traction on social media following the pandemic. But what exactly is “romanticization,” and why are people so fond of this concept?

Romanticization means to view certain things through a more idealized lens. When the pandemic first struct, daily life became much more of a struggle due to the mass lockdowns, and for many people, mental health issues started to take hold. As a result, people found appeal in idealizing their life that had become so difficult to live.

Once romanticization started trending, it got split into two main categories. On one side, you had people encouraging others to buy themselves flower bouquets, bake their own bread for breakfast, take bubble baths with scented bath salts, or host elaborate tea parties at home. Though this kind of extravagant lifestyle seems appealing, it was met with much criticism. Many argued that romanticizing your life shouldn’t only be focused on finding joy within material goods and that this approach to romanticization only added more stress to the lives of those who couldn’t afford to adopt this way of living.

In turn, the second version of romanticization was born. This second form focused on the romanticization of small things, or romanticizing little habits in day-to-day life. In parallel to the material side of romanticism, it focused on finding joy in popping bubbles from dish soap instead of bubble baths, admiring the flowers growing out of the cracks in the sidewalks over buying bouquets for yourself and savoring the sweetness of that one cup of instant coffee rather than hosting elaborate tea parties. People were taught to enjoy cleaning their houses on sunny days. Striking up conversation with interesting strangers was encouraged. Listening to music on public transportation became whimsical and poetic. The romanticization of small things also had a heavier focus on nature, as many were encouraged to pause and listen to birdsong, splash in rain puddles, and catch falling autumn leaves out of the air. In sum, this form of romanticization encouraged. People to live life like the main character of a movie—engaging and, most importantly, human.

Though the romanticization of small things doesn’t seem like a big deal at first, it can completely change your view on life. Once it started trending, many people sought to adopt this lifestyle to help them get through both their daily lives and the pandemic—it’s a simple way of going through life, as all it requires is a change in mindset. But this small change could have tremendously positive effects. Taking the time to notice, appreciate, and idealize daily routines that seem mundane can make life more bearable, one romance at a time.