THAT GIRL TREND AND HOW TO BE THE BEST YOU
That Girl trend, the trend that we all have seen on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. It has taken over social media for the past two months. This trend is still on top. We saw multiple people trying to become “That Girl” by eating healthy, exercising, and consuming enough water. Even many YouTube videos have been made about it. If it is this popular, what really is the “That Girl” trend?
This idea first popped up when people started making TikToks about a girl in every friend group who had this ideally perfect lifestyle. When people saw that they were living their best lives, they tried to do the same thing and it became a trend. “That girl” is the girl that has this perfect life in which she wakes up early, makes her bed, drinks enough water, exercises, does meditation, reads books, prepares delicious aesthetic meals and does her skincare routine every single day. When people realised how good these girls’ lives looked, they wanted to create one for themselves as well. So the trend began.
Though the trend might look like the perfect motivation for one to take good care of themselves, it can also disorient one when not taken in the right way. We, all, have to remember that these videos just set an example and give us an idea of how good the feeling is when we have good habits. They are not MUST DOs for everyone as we all are different. We all have different likes and dislikes, we go through different experiences and so much more. Here are some reasons why this trend is causing problems.
In the trend, people usually wake up early and workout right after waking up. This might be a problem for others because of the different responsibilities, loads and capacities we have. So for example, you might need to spend more hours at night studying instead because of your course’s requirements. Don’t force yourself to still wake up at 5am after sleeping at 12am. Give yourself the time to rest and take proper care of your body first instead of trying to be “that girl”.
Meditation is another part of the trend. Some people love meditating while others find it a complete waste of time because they can’t stand being alone with just their thoughts for long periods of time. Therefore if this is you, leave it out. Not meditating does not make you an un-ideal person.You can always still have a good day without it.
Some people love to read, while some people don’t because it’s just harder for them. Though reading does allow you to learn and pick up important concepts, whichever you prefer should be fine. You can always try learning the same material of self-growth books through animated videos, infographics, etc. We all have different preferences and learn better through different modes.
Most don’t have the enough economic state to buy foods other than their main needs. Also, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, people have lost a lot of money and have been affected by the depression that it has brought. Underdeveloped countries have been affected a lot and as a result, the nation’s low income rate. Therefore, when people want to buy foods apart from their main needs which are usually more expensive such as avocados, blueberries and almond milk, they feel ashamed because of their current economic situation. This is a global issue so do not be ashamed if you cannot buy the more expensive products. If you cannot afford the pricier skin products and gym outfits, it's okay. Be thankful with what you have. It will do. It is a blessing.
When all of these “that girl” videos start to fill up the minds of young women, the idea of how to live a good life can become corrupted. It can become too idealistic and impractical that it will make them feel like their lives are not worthy when they cannot imitate such. Many of my friends were left disappointed when trying the trend because it simply did not match their distinct situation. Instead of feeling bad and ashamed because your lives look quite different from others, see theirs as a motivation and not rules. Our phones allow us to see only a small percentage of their lives. What is posted in social media isn’t the entire feeling, process or routine, only a part of what they want us to see. Remember everyone’s life is different and unique in their own way. Therefore, make your own routine depending on the things you need to personally develop and grow, not those that only fit the online world’s standard. In order to become our best selves, here are a few things we can do to start:
Do something you like every day. It can be something like drawing a picture, baking some goodies, watering your plants, playing an instrument, going for a walk, eating your favourite meal, singing or going swimming. It is important to do something you enjoy every day to remind yourself that you are important. For example, I take time off to watch my favourite show on Netflix before I go to bed. I do this to congratulate myself for doing my best every day.
Try to be more active every day. This doesn’t have to be something that you need to spend a lot of time on because I know as a student,we usually can’t spend hours exercising every day. Instead, you can start by doing something small such as completing five minute workouts three times a week and then increasing the duration every other week. If you don’t like to tire your body with high intensity workouts and such, try doing Yoga (or similar workouts such as Pilates). This has personally helped me a lot as it increased my strength and flexibility at the same time.
Try journaling. This might not be the best option for some people because it might be boring or might require quite some extra time. But if you do have enough time to spend on journaling, try writing down your emotions, goals and things you are grateful for everyday. This will allow you to appreciate your current condition and self. If you don’t want to journal, here is another option: try standing in front of a mirror or the screen of your phone (if you don’t have a mirror) and just put both of your fists to the side of your waist (just like Superman). After that, say one thing you are proud of yourself for. When I started doing this, I felt like I was doing really well because I was starting to take more care of myself. I suggest you try this and see how your mindset changes.
Find something you can improve on and work on it step by step. Don’t rush things because in time they will get better with effort and patience. To give an example, if you feel like you are not studying enough and spending a lot of time on your phone, then try to spend five minutes more on your studying and five minutes less on your phone. Later, increase this amount to ten minutes and so on.
Last but not the least, don’t do all of these steps all together immediately. Remember, consistency is key. I suggest you take it easy, one step at a time. For example, try the first step for two weeks. Once you are used to it, start doing the second step with the first step. Combine and adjust the steps and time periods depending on the progress you make.
As can be seen, becoming our best selves doesn’t require everything to be done in an aesthetically pleasing way. If we focus a little more on ourselves and how we are feeling, I believe that we all can achieve our goals and later on see how much we can accomplish. We just have to take our first step and trust the long but worthy process.