How To Romanticize Work (and Actually Enjoy Your 9

Here’s your ultimate guide on romanticizing your work and enjoying your job like never before!

I binge-watched ‘Emily in Paris’ last month, and besides Emily’s bubbly personality and her interesting love life, I also found myself longing for a work life like hers.

It would be so cool to strut around the romantic streets of Paris, clicking pictures for social media while looking like modern-day Barbie.

And while we can’t exactly make that happen, we can bring the same energy to our work. No, I am serious!

I know work can be tiring, nerve-wracking, and even toxic at times. Pressure and long working hours can make you hate your job, even if it’s something that started out fun.

But seriously, it doesn’t have to be that way. I’m not telling you to force positivity or pretend your job is perfect when it’s not.

I’m just telling you to romanticize your work and make yourself feel like the main character of a story, rather than a side character with a boring routine.

I started doing this a few years ago when I was stuck in a job that felt like it was slowly draining my life force.

I couldn’t change the job immediately, but I could change how I showed up to it. And let me tell you, the difference was night and day.

It’s something I carried with me to my blogging phase, and even now, as I am working on multiple things every day, I try to romanticize every part of my work.

In this post, I will share 10 ways you can do the same and make work feel like a happy choice.

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If you’re ready to genuinely start enjoying your working hours (whatever they may look like), then read on!

10 Ways To Romanticize Your Work

1. Light a Scented Candle

I am starting with the most basic tip, I know, but I don’t know a lot of people who light a candle during work. It’s not just for your bubble baths or fancy dinners.

Nobody can stop you from burning a candle while on your laptop at home. So, go ahead and do it when you need to.

Keep your favorite scented candle on your desk and light it every morning as part of your work ritual.

It’ll be like telling your brain that you’re entering your productive your creative space now.

The scent will keep your mind soft and bring a sense of calm to even your most hectic days.

P.S.: If you work in an office where candles aren’t allowed (which I think is most of them), tuck a small essential oil diffuser or a reed diffuser on your desk.

Scents like bergamot, eucalyptus, or cedar will be subtle and great choices for an office space.

2. Make Your Workspace More Aesthetic

Your desk is where you spend a massive chunk of your life, so why not make it somewhere you actually want to be?

Now, there’s no need to spend hundreds of dollars on office decor. Just add some items that spark a tiny bit of joy when you look at them.

It can be a pen holder that matches your desk, a small pothos plant, and a framed photo from a trip that reminds you there’s a whole world outside these four walls.

A quirky paperweight, a beautiful notebook you actually use, or even just organizing your supplies in a way that feels visually pleasing.

Making your surroundings pleasant is the foundation of romanticizing. Because when your space feels intentional, work feels more intentional (and joyful) too.

3. Treat Your Morning Coffee or Tea Like a Ritual

Coffee or tea is probably already part of your morning routine, but are you actually enjoying it, or just using it as fuel to function?

There’s a difference, and it matters a lot!

Don’t be that person who mindlessly chugs caffeine while checking emails; Be that person who turns their morning drink into a moment of mindfulness.

Use your favorite mug (you know, the one that makes you smile when you hold it), and take your time to froth the milk.

Step outside for a few sips and feel the morning air on your face.

When you do this, your coffee won’t just be coffee. It’ll be a treat for your morning self, and you’ll carry this energy with you into your work.

4. Play Background Music and Sounds

Silence can be golden, but I’ve found that work feels more alive with the right soundtrack playing in the background.

I’m not talking about blasting music that distracts you from getting things done.

I’m talking about finding those background sounds that make you feel like you’re living in a cozy movie montage.

My go-to playlist includes soft indie folk, lo-fi hip hop, and sometimes those ‘cozy coffee shop’ sounds you can find on YouTube.

The gentle hum of conversation and espresso machines can turn a boring spreadsheet into a charming cafe. scene.

I also love playing fireplace sounds when it’s cold or cloudy outside.

You just experiment with different sounds and see what works for you. Some people swear by classical music, others prefer rain sounds or even brown noise.

Whatever you choose, it should make your workspace feel like a place you want to linger and stay, not run from.

5. Romanticize Your Outfits Too

When going to the office is an everyday thing, it’s very easy not to put effort into your outfits anymore.

But just think about the office-going female characters you love watching in movies. Half the appeal of their energy comes from their good outfits.

You don’t need to dress up like the girls in Emily in Paris, of course (their one outfit would break my bank).

But romanticize your outfits as much as womanly possible. Prepare at least ten outfits you actually love and mix and match them for the office.

And if you work from home, this becomes even more important.

You might want to stay in pajamas all day, but getting dressed well is how you get into your main-character energy, even if no one’s going to see you.

Make it cozy, make it comfy, but make it count. It’s how you’ll breathe life and positivity into your work hours.

6. Take Slow and Lovely Breaks

Most of us spend our breaks scrolling social media or mindlessly snacking, but what if you used those precious free minutes more intentionally?

I think of my breaks as mini-retreats throughout the day, and it really helps!

Instead of doom-scrolling, you can step outside and notice how the light looks different from how it did an hour ago.

Or you can write a few lines in your journal, not about work stress, but about something you’re grateful for or excited about.

You can stretch by your window and pretend you’re in a slow-motion scene where the main character is having a moment of clarity.

These mini-retreats will reset your energy and remind you that you’re not just a productivity machine.

You’re a whole person with a rich inner life, and work days don’t change that.

7. Make Your To-Do List a Work of Art

Okay, this might sound a bit extra, but we’re talking about romanticism, which means nothing can be too much or extra.

If you make to-do lists of any kind, then make this habit prettier and more interesting.

Instead of scribbling tasks on whatever scrap of paper is handy, treat your to-do list like a small creative project.

Use colorful pens, add little doodles, or find a planner that sparks joy when you open it.

I have this habit of writing motivational quotes in the margins of my planner, not the generic ‘hustle harder’ kind, but gentle reminders like ‘you’re exactly where you need to be’ or ‘small steps count too.’

It makes me very happy to add these positive reminders to my work to-do list.

When you are crossing items off a beautiful list, the whole process will feel less dull and more vibrant.

A post I recommend: The Magic Of Reverse To-Do List: A Game-Changer For Daily Wins

8. Create a Feel-Good Work Ritual

Rituals are powerful because they create a sense of ceremony around ordinary activities.

If you don’t already have a work ritual (something nice you do before sitting down to work), then please create one now.

Doesn’t matter if it’s only five minutes, but it should be something that takes you from ‘waking up’ to ‘working’ mode. Something that feels chosen and meaningful.

Here’s what I like to do: I light my candle, make my coffee, open my blinds to let in natural light, and take three deep breaths while setting an intention for the day.

Here are some work ritual ideas you can try:

Listen to the same song (that you love)
Drink your coffee at your desk while reading a book
Take a moment to appreciate something beautiful
Step outside and spread your arms wide with your eyes closed
Make a tasty smoothie, take the first sip, and start working
Write a morning page in your journal
Light a scented candle (always works like magic)

You can do just one of these, or combine a couple to make it a 10-minute ritual. The story’s in your hand!

9. Connect Your Daily Tasks to Your Bigger Story

At its core, romanticizing is about mindset and energy more than anything. So, if you can, then try to change the story in your head about your work (or just make it better).

Instead of seeing your job as separate from your ‘real life’, connect everything to the larger story you’re building for yourself.

That boring report you’re writing is developing your communication skills.

Those tedious emails you write are building professional relationships that might lead somewhere amazing.

That project you’re not passionate about is funding your dreams or teaching you something you’ll use later.

When you can see your work as one chapter in a larger narrative, one where you’re the protagonist working toward something meaningful, even the dull moments start to feel like they have purpose.

There’s real power in this, and it can change your work game forever.

10. Embrace the Seasonal Rhythms

One solid thing you can do to work feel more romantic is align it with the natural rhythms of the seasons.

In fall, you can add a small pumpkin to your desk and drink spiced tea.

During winter, you can add extra candles to your desk and drape a cozy blanket over your desk chair.

In spring, bring fresh flowers to work, and in summer, let yourself have fancy iced coffees and bright colors.

These small seasonal touches will help ground your work routine in the natural world, reminding you that you’re part of something bigger than deadlines and meetings.

Your Work, Your Story

Since you have to navigate the realities of working life anyway, you might as well make the experience as beautiful as possible. And you can do this by romanticizing your work.

Be the writer, director, and star of your own life story, even during the chapters that take place in conference rooms and cubicles.

When you add intentional beauty to your workday (through scents, sounds, rituals, or simply shifting your perspective), you’re not just making work more bearable.

You’re practicing the art of finding magic in ordinary moments, which is perhaps one of the most valuable skills you can develop.

So tomorrow morning, light that candle, make your coffee with intention, and choose your outfit like you’re dressing for the life you want.

Your work might not change overnight, but your experience of it absolutely can.

And who knows? You might just find yourself looking forward to Monday morning. Stranger things have happened.

You just discovered 10 pretty ways to romanticize your work life. Got any favorites? Let me know in the comment box, and feel free to share some of your own tips too!

How To Romanticize Work (and Actually Enjoy Your 9–5 Vibes)