Is “That Girl” Toxic? Here’s What to Know About This Social Media Trend

Who’s “That Girl”? If you’re on TikTok and Instagram, you could have probably seen some iteration of the stylish aesthetic, however for those who’re not acquainted, you must know that “That Girl” is nobody particular person, however the embodiment of an aspirational social media pattern and way of life aesthetic.     

Traits of That Girl embrace a clear and sober way of life that includes waking up at 5 or 6AM to get in a exercise, meditate, journal, and eat a inexperienced juice, and loads of beautifully-curated productiveness vlogs with social media footage of all the above. (Other variations drink sizzling water with lemon each morning, smoothie in hand and clay face masks on.) Of course, at Fitbit, we’re the primary to level out that there’s nothing inherently mistaken with having a morning routine like this if it really works for you. It’s extremely motivating for a lot of. 

What could make this seemingly healthful pattern problematic is that it most frequently promotes this sort of way of life with no room for straying from the routine. Health and wellness at the moment are about a lot greater than checking off actions like these, by rote, out of your to-do record. 

And for those who’re maintaining a healthy diet meals, getting sufficient Zzz’s, and understanding recurrently, who’s to say that anybody facet of your routine—like the power to abide by an early morning wakeup name—is totally indicative of your state of non-public well-being, anyway?  

Plus, That Girl is commonly portrayed by an individual of a sure race, class, and physique sort. She’s white, rich, and slender, what continues to be thought-about “conventionally attractive” in most wellness circles—for instance, in your weekly yoga class. It’s not very inclusive when you think about all of the various kinds of individuals who pursue well being and wellness—and who need to really feel welcome in mentioned yoga class.

In our month-to-month content material sequence on the Fitbit weblog, Meet the Trailblazers, we attempt to place a highlight on the work of POC wellness and health creators who don’t match the traditional mildew, and who’re making waves of their communities as a way to level out that we shouldn’t have to slot in to mentioned mildew as a way to pursue our personal sense of well-being in at the moment’s world. 

When requested if there’s a sure wellness pattern she’d put behind her, Les Alfred of Balanced Black Girl shared that she’d put off “the idea that wellness has a singular look or aesthetic. The journey to being well can look and feel so many different ways, and tying a singular aesthetic to what it means to pursue wellness is exclusionary and limiting.” 

So how are you going to keep away from the pitfalls of this pattern? 

Remember that wellness is subjective. The wellness business of at the moment’s world is stuffed with unrealistic requirements, and the That Girl aesthetic is one other offshoot of that.

That mentioned, the pattern is interesting for a purpose. (The TikTok hashtag alone presently has a whopping 7 billion views.) Many do certainly see That Girl’s way of life as aspirational and motivating. If you’ve modified your personal way of life to include more healthy habits—whether or not it’s in a bodily sense, your psychological well being, or throughout the board—otherwise you merely need to, that’s undeniably inspiring. It makes it laborious to disclaim the siren name of turning into That Girl, and the mindset that you simply’ll be main a happier and extra fulfilling life due to it. 

But is it actual? Is it an on a regular basis observe? Or is “she” posting it as a part of a productiveness vlog sequence for just a few weeks, after which returning to her regular routine, no matter which will entail? Social media just isn’t actual life, so we are able to’t all the time know what’s behind the display screen. But what we are able to remind ourselves is that this: What works for one particular person might not work for others, and vice versa. If it really works for you, that issues. But if it doesn’t, that’s OK too. 

Either approach, it’s vital to keep in mind that reaching your “full potential” with regards to wellness will imply one thing completely different for everybody. There’s no laborious and quick rule that you simply want to turn into That Girl, and that if anybody facet of her routine isn’t met, your personal potential for wellness gained’t be, both. 

Rest is vital. Self-care additionally means one thing completely different to everybody, however most of us can agree that relaxation is an important a part of it. Physician, researcher, and writer Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith shared in a well-known 2019 TEDx Talk that there are 7 various kinds of relaxation we want: bodily, psychological, sensory, inventive, emotional, social, and religious. 

When it involves bodily relaxation, for those who’re conversant in Fitbit’s Daily Readiness Score you already know it may assist break down why on some days, you get up prepared for a difficult exercise—and on others, you want extra time for restoration. You might not discover That Girl’s 5AM alarm as motivating on a relaxation day. 

It’s one factor to push by means of sensations of tiredness sometimes, however one other if we’re continuously pushing ourselves to attain with out getting an ample quantity of relaxation, each within the bodily sense and throughout the remaining pillars. 

Doing so recurrently is when the danger of burnout turns into a actuality, and most of us are already conversant in simply how excessive ranges of stress and burnout have prolonged at the moment.  

Progress, not perfectionism. Again, the journey of self-improvement is de facto an admirable one, however not solely that—for many individuals it’s a lifelong pursuit. With that in thoughts, it’s vital to keep in mind that it’s not, or a minimum of shouldn’t be, about perfectionism. We can get so caught up in competitors with ourselves, in making an attempt to make ourselves higher than we had been yesterday, that we overlook to rejoice our wins. 

The concept right here is that it’s about progress, not perfection—you might be sufficient as you might be, even whereas pursuing who you need to be. And that stands, whether or not you are feeling motivated to turn into “That Girl” or not.