That Girl and Her Morning Routine
So we’ve all heard of that girl. The girl who eats clean, exercises consistently, studies well and has a skin care routine. The girl who wears organic facial masks on the daily. Which I don’t think is good for your skin, but well, the more you know. The girl who so many people aspire to be. But is the trend toxic overall? Or is it more beneficial and inspiring for younger people to improve their health?
Part 1: Pretty Privilege and Comparison
As we all may already know, that girl eats her greens and all that. I haven’t seen many people hop on the trend to have balance to what they eat however. What I mean by that is eating, well, fairly unhealthy foods. It’s fine if they don’t enjoy more processed foods, but I feel like the that girl trend can be a little toxic once it’s really restrictive. And a lot of young people tend to watch that girl trend videos.
I feel my generation is almost obsessed with growing up. And I feel as though that’s not necessarily a bad thing, my only concern is that many people on social media and on the that girl trend specifically have many followers and views and likes because of pretty privilege. Pretty privilege is definitely a real thing, but overall it’s honestly unfair for those who aren’t shown to be, well, pretty or aesthetic to society compared to others. People who do not have pretty privilege are bound to get less opportunities than people with pretty privilege. And sometimes the that girl trend is centered around, well, beautiful people doing aesthetic things instead of improving themselves. To get the that girl lifestyle might be a type of motivation for some. But it is also centered around comparison, just like pretty privilege. Nobody in this world is ugly, it’s just that we as a society like to pick and choose and compare. And what’s perceived as pretty has been changing since, well, forever. And the that girl trend spikes up these comparisons, especially when the people on the trend don’t share their growth as a person.
Part 2: Health Isn’t the Same for Everyone
We should all know that we are all on our own paths in life, at different time lines and speeds. I know that sounds odd, but it’s true. Our lives are not the same, and should surely not be compared as if they are. For example, we all don’t have the same twenty four hours in a day. A majority of people have nine to five jobs, and sleep for eight hours straight. And a lot of the hours we have in a day are used for things that don’t necessarily focus on self growth.
I believe that health looks different on everyone. What do I mean by this? Basically, what’s healthy and what is not healthy can change depending on someone’s personal preferences to get more ‘healthy’, like body goals and such. It also means that according to our genetics, we are bound to have similar activities affect our health and goals and such differently. I’m also saying that the that girl trend doesn’t always take this into consideration, so I get why some people feel like the that girl trend is toxic for them. But it is definitely not toxic overall. After all, you don’t have to take all of the inspiration and information from the that girl trend and use it. You should only pay attention to what is most useful for you. So in my opinion, the that girl trend shouldn’t be canceled if anything.
Part 3: Privilege
The that girl trend definitely inspires people to workout, wake up earlier, (which isn’t always the most beneficial actually) and eat cleaner. And those are just a few of the upsides. However, to do a lot of that girl things, you need to make good money. In order to buy cute stuff for your room every now and then, you should recognize that it’s a privilege, meaning that you make enough money to romanticize your life. In other words, when following the that girl trend, you should think as though that girl is a healthier version of you that works out for you. Not just a girl everyone wants to be, but a girl that you in particular want to be, and can be.
See, if you work a nine to five job on the regular, have kids, do housework and others, you might only have a few hours a day for yourself. If you have multiple jobs, you might just have one. And if you don’t have steady income, it’s hard to follow that girl trend overall. And I’m in middle school, and I have so many privileges that I recognize and respect, really! I get to go to extracurriculars, I have my own phone, I have a roof above my head, I get to go to school. I have food on my plate every day. There’s just so much in life to be thankful for. And most importantly, I have the time to make videos to post on youtube, make podcast episodes, do work for clubs, play instruments, swim and so on and so forth. I think we should all be grateful for just having a roof above our head, and for being able to go to school or work. And being able to eat food every night.
Part 4: The Positives
The that girl trend inspires a healthy lifestyle, that is seemingly almost healthy for everyone. And I think that it’s so cool that it’s popularized, because it inspires people even from a young age to be active and eat clean and study well and have fun. I’ve been trying to wake up at six in the morning every day for the past week, which is definitely a privilege because some people have to wake up at six for school or work or what not. I think last year, I’d come home so late from school that I’d basically do my homework at four in the morning because I was so scared that if I didn’t do it my teachers would really like me as a student anymore. Which is definitely not healthy. But still, it’s a privilege to be able to wake up at four silently, I guess.
The that girl trend definitely isn’t dead. It keeps on coming back in different ways, with different names. But everything’s really centered around eating smoothie bowls and taking 5 am walks and watching the sun rise. I think that it would be better if a variety of people joined the that girl trend, like people with different time frames just so that the trend is more relatable and even more inspiring.
Part 5: Tips and Tricks
If you’re on a tight schedule every day, you can try getting your daily dose of exercise by just walking more often to work or to school. Like instead of taking the bus one day, how about you wake earlier and head off to what you’re going to be doing for the day. And if you’re on a tight budget, instead of going to restaurants every now and then try making more at home meals with restaurant techniques. Life is short so ask maybe like a restaurant employee on how they cook one of their meals. And if you work out too much to an extent that it’s triggering, maybe try working out less and start doing less energy activities instead.
If you feel guilty every time you eat something, you could start thinking about how fortunate you are to be getting food, and how it’s a good thing that food fuels your body. I’d suggest contacting any type of professional that could help you with your health needs, like a dietician or a nutritionist. Maybe even a therapist, or a work out trainer for both your mental and physical health. And in conclusion, instead of becoming that girl, it would be better for you to try becoming somebody you look up to.
