dr. Loucks’s Research and his new book, “The Mindful College Student,” illustrate how mindfulness can reduce stress and symptoms of depression and improve sleep quality and physical activity levels. “Romanticizing your life” intersects with mindfulness, he added, in part by helping us become more in tune with ourselves.
“If we try to build a life that makes us happy, and put ourselves in the center in a kind way, each of us is different,” he said. “Which methods resonate the most? That is self-awareness.”
Intertwined in the online conversation about “romanticizing your life” is the “lead character” trend – videos with the hashtag have racked up 6.9 billion views on TikTok, followed by its brother, “lead character energy”.
The main character’s meme spawned numerous parodies that poked fun at movie cliches and narcissism. It’s “a fun way to bring out some of the weird stuff that people romanticize,” Ms Ward said. But “being the main character” has also become a heartfelt reminder to let your actions determine the story, just like the main character of a movie would.
In Ms. Ward’s TikTok video, the camera is positioned high above her and she peers out at the beach where she lies on a towel. The overhead shot shows that she is the main character, and because of the simplicity of the images her sincere voice-over is central.
“You have to romanticize your life,” the story begins. “You have to see yourself as the main character. Because if you don’t, life will pass you by. And all the little things that make it so beautiful will go unnoticed. So take a moment and look around you, and realize that it is a blessing for you to be here now.”
Her audio track has since been used by numerous other content creators such as Angela Liguori, a travel influencer and photographer, who combined the sound with a montage from the distant locations she visits.
