Okay so like, everyone keeps saying “it’s my lifestyle” these days. Scroll through Instagram for 5 mins and you’ll see someone talking about their morning lifestyle, coffee lifestyle, vanlife lifestyle (like bro you live in a van, not a vibe). It’s almost like the word “lifestyle” turned into this trendy badge we all wear without even knowing what it means anymore.
When I was browsing through lifestyle, I kinda expected the same old fancy stuff—travel inspo, skincare tips, maybe some diet talk. But then I realized, lifestyle is actually less about what you own or show, and more like how your brain decides to chill or freak out daily.
The messy reality behind “perfect lifestyles”
You ever notice how the people showing off “simple living” online usually have the most complicated routines? Like, 6 a.m. yoga, 10-step skincare, oat milk only from one farm in Denmark. I tried following one of those routines once, and by day three I was like nahhh I’m out. My “simple lifestyle” turned into “I’m just tired.”
But that’s the point, right? Lifestyle isn’t about copying someone’s Pinterest board. It’s that weird mix of habits, dreams, and little chaos that makes your daily life feel kinda yours. You don’t need to meditate on a cliff or eat kale chips to have one.
Social media and the fake calm epidemic
On TikTok or Reels, everything looks peaceful—dim lights, someone writing in a journal, lo-fi beats playing. But behind the screen, they’re probably sitting in a pile of laundry, recording that shot 5 times because the cat jumped. Social media made lifestyle look cinematic, when in real life it’s usually just… cluttered but cozy.
I remember once posting a “productive day” vlog. It was literally just me drinking 3 cups of coffee and pretending to read. People commented “goals!!” and I was like bro, I haven’t moved from my chair in 4 hours.
Money talks too much in lifestyle
Here’s the thing—people don’t admit it but lifestyle got commercial real fast. You can’t scroll two seconds without an ad saying “this candle will change your life.” No candle ever fixed my anxiety, but sure, they smell nice. It’s like brands hijacked the word to sell us an identity. “You’re not buying a bag, you’re buying confidence.” Bruh, no, I’m buying storage space for snacks.
Still, can’t lie, we all fall for it sometimes. A new gadget, a cozy hoodie, maybe a fancy brunch spot—makes us feel like we’re upgrading our lifestyle, even if it’s temporary. Maybe that’s okay too.
Real lifestyle feels boring (and that’s okay)
The funny part? The realest lifestyles are boring as hell. Cooking rice, scrolling too long on your phone, forgetting to water the plant, maybe talking to your pet like they understand taxes. Nobody’s filming that. But that’s actually what lifestyle means—it’s just how you live. The small, dull, repetitive stuff that somehow makes life soft around the edges.
Sometimes I think maybe lifestyle shouldn’t be this “aesthetic goal.” Maybe it’s more like, how kind you are to yourself when you’re doing absolutely nothing. That’s not very post-worthy, but it’s real.
So what even is “lifestyle” anymore?
Maybe lifestyle is just another word we ruined by using too much. But at the same time, it’s also how we connect—like saying “this is how I live, maybe you get it too.” Whether you’re into gym grinds, cozy corners, or chaotic freelancing at 2am with coffee stains on your shirt (hi, me), it’s all part of that same messy story.
So yeah, if you’re still trying to “find your lifestyle,” maybe stop searching for it in filters and Pinterest boards. It’s probably already happening in your kitchen, your late-night scrolling, or that playlist you can’t stop playing.
