As a college student, I often find myself consumed with meeting deadlines, studying, and simply fighting to keep my head above water. This led me to feel burned out and unmotivated, so I set out on a mission to change that. 

I began by looking at my life through a different lens. I romanticized my life every day and in as little as two weeks, I noticed a major improvement in my mood. By romanticizing things throughout my day, I was able to make my day more appealing. The key is to focus on details you would usually overlook, appreciate them, and find beauty in them.  Filling your day with positives can help drown out the negatives. 

For example, I hate homework, but I love sitting in cute cafes sipping yummy lattes. In turn, I go to my local cafe, order my favorite drink and get to work. I focus on the way the latte makes me feel, the way it enlightens my taste buds and gives me the energy to finish my assignments. I romanticize the calm music playing and the cozy vibes of the cafe. I cling to the feeling it brings me, now working on my homework is not so dreadful.

 You can romanticize anything you would like, here are a few examples:

• Romanticize your drive to work or school, play your favorite songs, and sing your heart out.
• Romanticize your walk to class, breathe in the fresh air, soak up the sunlight, and listen to the birds chirp.
• Romanticize your breakfast, appreciate the energy it gives you to get through the day. 
• Romanticize yourself, the way you look, the way you carry yourself; love and appreciate yourself. 

These are just a few examples, but the possibilities are endless and personal to you. While it may seem silly to romanticize such mundane things, that is precisely the point. Focusing on the things you love can make it easier to drown out the things you do not enjoy, perhaps even help you appreciate them more. It is easy to lose sight of the beauty that surrounds you when life keeps getting in the way, so give yourself a few moments every day to appreciate how beautiful life can be.