Throughout Youtube I have been watching “How to be That girl” videos, which is a trend on TikTok. I have removed tik tok as a form of self care and a way to have more hours in the day. But that is for another post on another day. Yet, this trend has come through onto Youtube and has crossed my recommendations. It piqued my curiosity and I fell down this rabbit hole.

The idea of That Girl, arising from those who are posting the best aspects and best routines. They follow this idea of waking up early, working out, eating right, and doing productive things. It is an interesting concept which is probably why it is trending right now. It catches one’s attention of “if only I could do those things.” If I did those things my life would be better. Yet how is one to know that that is the case?

It is easy for influencers to create routines such as described above. When you choose your own schedule and what you do for your business, its a little easier than those who have a 9-5 or an ever changing schedule. With my job, I can never know for sure when I am leaving work; if a crisis occurs 10 minutes before I planned to leave, then I’m there for an extra hour. A thing that gets forgotten is that influencers are able to wake up, go work out and have the financial means of making everything healthy and focus on macros. I am not saying it is impossible for everyday people but it definitely gets easier when you have the time and money to be “that girl”. 

The concept of being “that girl” is not inherently negative or problematic. Yet, with anything that comes from social media, people are just posting their best moments. They do not post the days they are not productive. They do not always post their off days. It is hard to see only the positive aspects of “That girl” without the balance of the off days. As humans we are going to have productive days and rest days. There is nothing wrong with either end, so long as there is that balance. One should not idolize “That Girl” and feel upset that they can not achieve that. 

The concept is achievable for everyday people. I think it mostly arises from the benefits of having a consistent routine. It does not have to start early in the morning as it does for those on social media. It can be your own routine in the evening. You don’t have to wake up at 5 am to work out before work. You can do your workout at 8 pm if that works for you. You also don’t need to throw every aspect of “That girl” in at once. It is not fair for you to expect you can add in a 20 step routine and keep up with it. Just take one step at a time, build one habit at a time. For example if you want a skincare routine, workout consistently, eat healthy, and be productive. Start with one part, like eating healthy. Once you establish healthy meals for a period of time, add in the skincare routine. Once that is established add in ways to be productive and eventually the workout routine. 

Once every step is incorporated, you could be “That girl” but you still need to understand you are human. You are going to have off days, days of cravings, and horrible days. It does not take away your value and who you are. It is a rest period and you pick it back up when you can. Life is not an all or nothing, even if social media only shows the good. It is an interesting trend, and may help people develop their own routines. If people personalize “That Girl” for themselves, it could help how they view their day and life.