The Lofi Lifestyle—How to Live Aesthetically
Lofi isn’t just for music. It’s a philosophy for living life…a core theme for me. But I never connected the dots until I dug deeper into what low fidelity really means.
Lofi doesn’t mean low quality. It’s sits closer to slow living and a post-luxury lifestyle, where the ability to waste time is actually the true wealth flex.
For me, lofi embodies a life that’s fully aesthetic. Don’t worry, we’ll get into what all that means.
This is a guide on how to embody a lofi lifestyle. Because it’s more carefree, relaxing, creative and happy.
Now let’s do this dang thing.
Table of Contents
What Is the Lofi Lifestyle?
The lofi lifestyle is one that embraces unpolished, imperfect or nostalgic and vintage elements. Together, these ingredients create a unique style that appreciates taste—aesthetics.
It’s a life that embraces mistakes and slow living. It welcomes imperfections as being true human moments.
I also see it as an aesthetic way to live (that is, living with style, taste and an artistic eye). Design and fashion exist here.
Put together, this all means that lofi living is creative, expressive and human.
Explore more:
➤ Lifestyle Design (how to curate your life)
How to Live An Aesthetic Lofi Life (8 pillars)
1. Style
Lofi is aesthetic.
And aesthetics is an appreciation for beauty, style and artistic taste.
So, to live a lofi lifestyle, embrace style. Or at least, an appreciate for it.
And by style, I don’t mean some subjective fashion preference (although, fashion is great too). I just mean developing a personal taste.
Understanding what looks good and why. Having a style. A brand.
It’s creative and fun. And lofi.
2. Nostalgia
Lofi is like the audio-visual embodiment of nostalgia. Vintage record crackles, old polaroids…memories. It’s all lofi.
A lofi lifestyle doesn’t just appreciate nostalgia or do nostalgic things (like rewatching Harry Potter or Hocus Pocus…every year). It realizes that nostalgia is created every single day.
We just don’t realize it until after the fact. Because without fail, I know I’ll be look back at this moment (in just a few years) and realize these were the good old days.
So what does this all mean? It means nostalgia is actually unfolding right now. So a lofi lifestyle built around nostalgia is actually one that lives in the present.
Present moments awareness.
Check out my post on nostalgia and living in the present for more.
3. Imperfection
Lofi music embraces unpolished sounds and visuals, which creates a particular mood we all know and love.
So to become more lofi, we should embrace this philosophy in life. Living a beautifully imperfect unpolished life.
This is punk and disruptive in a highly performative culture. Lofi is moody and comfy, like hygge mixed with nostalgia. Embracing imperfection is a path towards a more relaxed, less stressed life.
Taking away the pressure to appear perfect or polished (by embracing its opposite) is a remedy and life hack.
This approach directs my creative work, design style, fashion and daily life.
And I’m obsessed.
4. Slowness
Lofi is calm—chilled out and relaxed.
Living a lofi lifestyle means doing things that chill you out and make you feel relaxed. You know, the stuff that helps you to hit pause and take a beat.
So what’s cathartic for you?
Reading? Knitting? Walking? Snowboarding?
Anything can be lofi if it gives you a calming effect.
The goal here is to live slower and enjoy the ride. Because if life truly is so short (like they say), then why rush?
5. Happy-go-lucky
Happy-go-lucky is the art of carefreeness and laissez-faire optimism.
So why not be happy-go-lucky? There are tons of reasons to be negative or scared (just turn on the news), but why not ignore all that and just live in the clouds?
This isn’t naive. It’s strategic and a way to stay sane, be chill and get more done more authentically (because there’s less worry, pressure and stress).
I’m not saying we shouldn’t take action or practice a little discipline sometimes. But coming from a happy-go-lucky places supports a calmer approach (which actually improves discipline and results).
Join me. Live in the cloud and stumble with a smile.
:)
6. What You Do
Your lifestyle is made up of what you do. So to embody a lofi lifestyle, make what you do lofi-like.
What does lofi look like? It looks like whatever hobbies, passions or habits give you the most happiness and relaxation.
For me, it’s a few things:
Travel
Writing
Sketching
Songwriting
Filming+photography
These passions bring me joy and creativity. They sculpt my lofi lifestyle (and act as content vehicles for my personal brand goals).
I approach each of these passions with a lofi aesthetic and style (moody, nostalgic, unpolished, vibe-driven, experience-based, slow, honest).
7. What You Consume
What types of media and content do you consume?
(and not just online)
The books you read, the movies you watch…the people you follow. All of it makes up your media diet.
But there’s a myth about what makes something lofi (at least, according to me).
Lofi media isn’t just artsy film noirs or nostalgic deep cuts from the 90s.
Lofi media is anything that makes you FEEL nostalgic.
If something makes you feel bad (or scared, judgy and fearful), it’s not very lofi.
Opt for stuff that makes you feel creative and warm. It’s a recipe for a happy lofi life.
Later ✌️
Want More? Nice. Here’s More.
