Who is That Girl?
She is the kind of girl who wakes up at 6 a.m., heads straight to the gym, eats a beautiful breakfast spread, drinks lemon water, journals, and meditates before most of us even start our first class that day. She’s extremely productive and the picture-perfect version of what everyone should try to be. This is, of course, if you ask Tiktok who That Girl is.
TikTok’s That Girl trend comes off as innocent. It comes across as promoting a healthy lifestyle and encouraging good habits through simple little reminders to be your best self. However, it’s simultaneously telling us that in order to have a happy life, it has to be well crafted and highlight a focus on our appearances. Essentially, it is the “one size fits all” to mental wellness and a happy lifestyle.
“…progress to healthy living is not linear and more often than not, it isn’t pretty.”
I’m not here to tell you that social media is bad since by now we all know the dangers of social media. Instead, I’m here to remind you that progress to healthy living is not linear and more often than not, it isn’t pretty. The journey to being your best self will mean something different to everyone. Each individual has their own ideal self and should craft their lifestyle accordingly.
When I first saw the trend, I wanted to be That Girl. I wanted to always be productive, I wanted to be healthy, and I wanted my life to look like a movie. To be That Girl, I had to be authentic to who I am and not try to conform to the standards that were being set for me by Tiktok. When I tried to be the standard, I found myself more concerned with my appearance than ever before and I was feeling burned out by living in such a routine. I really had to dive deep into myself and discover what was most important to me and who I really wanted to be. I remembered that I hate waking up early, I can’t afford to have green juice every day, and I don’t have time to meditate either. I remembered that when I work out, I sweat, my hair gets messy, and I never look picture perfect during it. Considering the fact that I live in a college dorm with no kitchen, there is no chance for me to have a beautiful breakfast spread every morning. I wanted to be That Girl until I realized I never would be.
“I still want to be That Girl in my forties.”
In order to be my ideal self, I need to be happy and studious. This often includes staying up late to ensure all my homework is done. It means sleeping in so that I’m not cranky in the morning. It includes eating pizza at 10pm simply because I want to. It’s skipping a workout because I need a break and would rather rewatch my favorite comfort shows. To be my ideal self, I needed to be happy with where I was at.
I do not want to hit my peak in my late teen years, or even in my early twenties. I want to continue progressing throughout my life and constantly live a healthy life. I want to still be That Girl in my forties when I’m a mother with a career.
There is no master plan to being That Girl, so I encourage you all to be the best version of yourself and not the best version of someone else. Discover what makes you feel good. If that’s waking up early in the morning and hitting the gym, then do that! If it’s waking up at 11 a.m. and heading to class, then do that instead. Live up to your own standards.