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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois chapter.

For starters, let me specify what is on social media. Typically, girls strut a pose and look effortlessly beautiful. Their confidence shines as brightly as their skin glows. The girls almost always look flawless. On our end, we usually cannot find the girl’s insecurities or any imperfections. However, even the most gorgeous girl has flaws; we are all human. With being human, it means that we have our fair share of downfalls and parts about ourselves that we don’t like. 

Some aspects of social media illuminate the raw, honest truth of how someone looks when they aren’t trying to be perfect. More often than not, the girl is turned exactly right and the lighting couldn’t be better. And there’s something called Photoshop that can distort the picture even more. 

woman standing in front of a mirror applying cream
Photo by Ekaterina Bolovtsova from Pexels

If you are a girl who scrolls on social media and is envious of other girls, then this article is for you. We’ve already covered that social media isn’t always honest. However, we haven’t talked about how you view and compare yourself to others. 

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Zendaya and Addison Rae on Instagram

“The Model Mindset” isn’t about perfection. It’s about authenticity and being confident in your own skin. It’s about accepting your body in the good and bad lightings. It’s about being comfortable with displaying your skin without any makeup. It’s about showing the world the real you. 

Now, I know that adopting this mindset is difficult. I’m still working on this mindset myself. However, I haven’t felt more confident and comfortable in my body than when I started to actually allow myself to feel this way. In the past, I used to think that I would finally be confident if I was thinner. I was convinced that I would be, but that was not the case at all. Since I’ve finally realized this, I’ve been altering how I view myself, not altering my reflection in the mirror. 

There are several habits that I’ve adopted to change my mindset for the better. The steps are the following:

  • Admire yourself in the mirror, not critique: When you walk by a mirror, flash a cute or sassy smile and tell yourself how good you look. What is the purpose of standing in front of the mirror and tearing yourself down? Babe, you’re gorgeous!
  • Stop body-checking in the mirror: This could have been covered in the first habit, but it deserves a whole step. Body-checking is when you walk by your reflection and check the size of your body. This could be how thin your waist looks or if you have any cellulite on your legs (which is normal and perfectly okay). Disclaimer: body-checking will only harm you.
  • Walk with confidence and purpose: I don’t care if you are wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Pull your shoulders back, and keep your head high. Anything you wear is a fit if you wear it with confidence. Confidence is attractive. If you don’t believe me, then just check Pinterest. 
  • Post and let your true beauty show: If you post or are going to post, stop staring at the pictures. You don’t need to scrutinize how you look. Plus, the longer you look at a photo, the more you won’t like it. 
  • Dress for you: Wear what makes you feel good. Wear the outfit that you cannot wait to wear out and about. Wear your favorite loungewear set. The one thing I ask of you is to wear it with purpose. 

On a final note, it’s important to say that beauty standards are constantly changing, and you don’t have to follow them. You are your most beautiful when you feel good. 

Crossover bikini set
Aerie
Autumn Bunzell

Illinois '27

Hi there! My name is Autumn Rose, and I'm from Utica, Illinois. I live minutes away from Starved Rock State Park. I attended LaSalle-Peru Township High School which consists of only about 1,200 students. Within my family, I'm the youngest in a close-knit household, and I have an older sister who I absolutely adore. As well, I have a golden retriever and a grey tabby cat. Currently, I'm a first-year neuroscience student at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Both the physical and psychological aspects of the human brain fascinate me. In addition, I'm interested in nutrition and how this field can be applied to neuroscience. There is a field labeled nutritional neuroscience that studies how the consumption of food, minerals, and supplements impacts an individual's cognition, mood, and overall brain health. Outside of the classroom, my hobbies vary tremendously. Music wise, I listen to Bryce Vine and Bazzi, but I also love Etta Mae, Arethra Franklin, and Frank Sinatra. As I do my morning routine, I listen to health and wellness podcasts on Spotify. In between classes, I do yoga and Pilates. At night, I love to do some skincare, and then crawl into bed with one of my books. Typically, I partake in crocheting and baking in the colder months. As a side note, my favorite season is fall because of the cool weather and all of the pumpkin/apple candles, foods, coffees, etc.