Romanticizing Your Life or Monetizing It?

Written by Alexandra Kent (C’28), Edited by Valeri Guevarra (W’26 NURS’26)

In recent years, a new kind of self-care has emerged – one that involves journaling by candlelight, sipping matcha while reading self-help books, and creating the perfect “Sunday reset routine” video. This trend is called “romanticizing your life,” and it is found  all over your TikTok for-you page, Pinterest feed, and Instagram explore page. The idea behind the trend is seemingly simple: treat everyday routines like they’re scenes in a movie and make the little things in life seem as exciting as the big, happy moments. But as this aesthetic has spread, so have other things: affiliate links, sponsored content, and straight up ads disguised as normal videos. This raises the question — are we romanticizing our lives, or just monetizing them?

At its core, the “romanticize your life” trend encourages people to slow down and appreciate the small things. Washing the dishes becomes meditative. A walk around the block becomes a nature documentary. The trend is — or was — about mindfulness, presence, and feeling like a main character in the movie of your life.

But as this trend has gained traction, it has also become profitable. Morning coffee routines now come with TikTok shop links. Productivity tips are followed by a prompt to download a $10 Notion template. What started as a way to reclaim joy has, in many cases, turned into content creation and monetization.

In our current cultural moment, how your life looks online increasingly determines how successful it’s perceived to be. This is especially true on platforms like TikTok, where personal brands are built off something as simple as what room you film your videos in or the types of clothes you buy.

This isn’t inherently a bad thing. There’s power in turning your own personal aesthetic and narrative into income; but it can also blur boundaries. If every walk, every coffee, and every outfit just becomes a way to earn a few extra bucks, is anything still just yours?

There iss additional irony in the fact that a trend rooted in slowing down has evolved into another form of hustle. The pressure to make your life look beautiful can be just as intense as the pressure to be productive. Instead of checking things off a to-do list to better yourself, it’s now checking analytics: did you earn commission on the Stanley cup you put in your Amazon storefront? How many likes did your recent video get, and if it’s “not enough,” does that mean people don’t think your life is interesting enough to tune into?

My reminder to everyone: not everything has to be a post, a link, or a video. You don’t need to monetize your quiet moments or “aestheticize” your every move. It’s okay to enjoy your morning walk without recording it. It’s okay to journal without filming it. It’s okay to have a messy room, an uncurated lunch, and a day that doesn’t fit into a certain kind of filter. In a world that constantly tells people to turn every interest into a hustle, the most radical thing might be to not. Let’s let something be meaningful simply because it is.