If you are anything like me, you have become tired of scrolling through TikTok seeing the same “advice” and inspo videos over and over telling you how to be “that girl” – the one that is always one step ahead, put together, healthy, and living her best life. You can live your best life without the overwhelming grind of intense habits mislabeled as self care.
Summer is weeks away, and the desire to have that perfect Instagram grid is hitting hard as we finish up finals, but let’s shift this energy into a positive and achievable life that we can all share in. Whether you are going to be scooping ice cream for the next four months or working your dream internship we can all have a hot girl summer, or, as social media has been describing it, a feral girl summer. We are swapping a daily green juice for self-love.
So, now that we have thrown the womanly pressures in the trash, how do we create this community of hot girls?
1. Prioritize what makes you happy
Before getting further into this list, the most important thing for this season is to prioritize what makes you happy. We have just lived through a very traumatic point in history, so take time to do things that bring you joy because it might have been years since you’ve been able to travel somewhere, or even do an activity that you used to love.
2. Set Goals
Summer is a great time to reflect on yourself, and see where you want to improve as a person, or it is a great time to work towards those goals you put on the back burner.
3. Practice good mental health
We are healthy hot girls! This means doing the things that bring you peace and comfort. You don’t have to wake up at 5am, go to the gym, and make a smoothie to be healthy. Rather, journaling, walking your dog, or chatting with a friend can do wonders for your mental health. Just remember to consistently check in with yourself because mental health concerns can rear their ugly head during any season.
4. Take pictures of the good, the bad, everything
Document! You are going to look back at these years later on, and even if you are in a wacky mood there is a story there, it might be funny a year from now, so make sure to capture all the moments in between the grams.
5. Healthy habits – but without pressure
Something I personally enjoy is implementing new healthy habits into my life. This screams “that girl,” but these can be small. For example, I want to learn how to cook this summer, especially more health conscious meals. Romanticizing going to the grocery store with my cute little tote to grab veggies makes me feel like I’m really crushing it, even though it’s the most mundane errand. This energy makes practicing healthy habits fun, and not like a chore.
6. Take up new hobbies
You finally have the time to try crocheting! Put down your phone and try something new or go to that place you’ve been dying to check out. Use your days off of work as an opportunity to explore, they can still be restful, but can make your break more memorable.
7. Keep the good throw away the bad
Spring clean your life before going into summer, we want good vibes only! Whether that means literally cleaning out your room at home, or cutting out toxic people, you will feel so much better going into break with a clean slate.
8. Get Outside!
The goal is to come back to school for fall semester feeling refreshed, and ready to take on new challenges. Being “that girl” places too much pressure on us to work towards a lifestyle that is impossible to maintain, so grab your friends, and join the hot girl movement, whether you are a little goblin girly or blasting a model walk playlist, this summer is for everyone.