By: Hailey Costar

How would you like to wake up, be productive, and live your life in the most positive, self-care way possible? Yoga, green smoothie, thrifting, reading, meditation, and face masks all are just a few of the many ways to incorporate that girl aesthetic into your everyday routine! 

What even is that girl? What’s wrong with being this girl or the girl? The roots of being “that girl” come from the most reliable source of information and trend stereotypes- TikTok. With people’s “For You Pages” blowing up with the productive aesthetic 15-second clips, all I could feel personally was motivation.

I am a firm believer that what you put in, is what goes out. If you insert feelings of zen and self-care, you’ll be an exact reflection of a sunny day. I’ve gone through my own journey of becoming that girl, and have learned many habits that will forever become non-negotiable in my daily routines. 

Non-negotiables are the exact answer to a life full of positivity and productivity. What is a non-negotiable? They’re a set 3-4 habits that you practice each day that NO MATTER WHAT will be accomplished. A few of my non-negotiable habits include…

• Morning meditation
• Movement and activity
• Cleaning my space
• Absorbing positive content

I feel really solid with completing my non-negotiable habits daily  because they can be interpreted in many different ways, and interpreted into anyone’s routine. Let’s start with morning meditation. When I used to think of meditating, I thought of an hour long yoga class full of silence and boredom. I’ve always had a fast paced mind, like a hamster on a hamster wheel; there was no way that I could simply take time out of my day to sit down and MeDiTaTe. When the new year hit, I decided to fufill my dream of becoming that girl and started January 1st with an morning meditation. I found a playlist on Spotify consisting of low-frequency music made specifically for cleansing your aura and setting a positive intention. 20 minutes later, I was surprised with how good I felt. After the holiday break and exams(in which I was exempt from therefore meaning more time off of school) was over and I wasn’t able to sleep until 10, I decided that meditation would continue being a part of my morning routine. It became my non-negotiable. I would wake up an hour earlier than normal for school and spend time reading, or watching a comfort show to wake myself up. After, I would do a 10 minute yoga stretch while listening to my frequency playlist, and end with a meditation. I started strong, but it is really hard to be that girl so I compromised, a 5 minute yoga/meditation session each morning became the perfect amount of satisfaction and productivity. Starting my day with good intentions and lifted spirits has contributed to my peppy mood, I believe it’s helped shaped me into a  nicer person:)

Movement, an idea filled with so much room to expand and ignite a flame within. I am all about taking time out of your day to move your body and recognize that you are a beautiful moving, breathing, living person who can do amazing things… yes, my dear friend, we can do more than just sit on the couch watching Netflix. I think for most people the idea of taking time out of each day to exercise is a little bit overwhelming. I get that, when I think of the words “working out” or “exercise” I think of hard-hitting cardio machines, bulky weight-lifting gym rats, and sweat… lots of sweat. So pretty much the opposite of what that girl thinks right? Here is what switched my mindset and what led me to claim movement as a non-negotiable. Movement. Yes, movement. Not working out, not exercise, but movement. When you say that word, movement, it sounds so simple right? I mean, hopefully we all get to move a little bit each day right? The beauty of movement is that you can make it however you want. I personally use movement to stretch and get in tune with my body, dance around and feel my emotions, or walk outside on a trail in my neighborhood and experience the beauty of nature. Ahhhhh, sounds so relaxing… I definitely recommend wearing a cute athleisure set while doing any of those activities 😉 For some people, my idea of movement may be boring, maybe you like hitting the gym… I’m not stopping you. I do imply, however, that maybe you should think about why you want to workout, what the reason is to move your body. I believe that that girl moves her body each day to feel strong, confident, empowered, even alive. Having even a 10 minute time frame each day to acknowledge the fact that we are humans who are gifted with such beautiful bodies has truly changed my mindset on the way I view myself and the people around me. It relieves stress and aids in clearing my mind. When the ideas of being this perfect person overwhelm you, think about the reasons you are you.

Next on the guide to becoming that girl is having a clean space. I know, sooooo cliche, but hear me out–a clean space allows for a clean mind. I didn’t realize how important this was until my life would be booked, busy, and chaotic, leaving my room looking like a tornado just struck. When my space is a mess, I become overwhelmed by the amount of stuff… more like CRAP just sitting there. It stresses me out because I know it might not take too much time to clean, so instead of cleaning it, I may decide to scroll TikTok and wait for a day when I have a clear schedule to clean. Nope, ladies and gents, we are cleaning the space immediately. If you have time to think about it, just do it. Every night before bed, and before you leave for school the next morning, it can be so simple to put the first few things that are in your eyesight away. I mean come on, is it really that hard to put your underwear into the drawer? Let’s face it, when you look better, you feel better. Your space is a direct reflection of yourself, you wouldn’t see that girl with a messy room, right? After working on it, I have found a significant switch in my mood because I go into my room after a long day and feel relaxed, safe, and sound. I know that I have a safe space in which my mind doesn’t have to stress, which makes it the perfect space for a morning meditation!

This might be my favorite category… content! We are living in the age of social media, would it be so bad if I included it into the that girl to do list? Listen, I know that social media can be toxic and harmful and pretty much the opposite of that girl, but hear me out… using social media for good can actually be life changing. Podcasts. I love podcasts more than the average person loves Chick Fil A. I listen to at least 2 a day, but let’s be realistic, I probably listen to 4-5. Each are about an hour long. That is a lot of content, can you imagine watching 4-5 hours of Snapchats everyday? The beautiful thing about podcasts is that you get that sense of community while feeling inspired. I personally love podcasts such as Gals on the Go, What We Said, Unsolicited Advice, Water into Wine, Anything Goes, and many more. Each podcast talks about some form of self-help, productivity and balance, mental health, positives of the week, and product favorites. They inspire me to go out there and get to it! I feel like I’m in a room with my best friends, even older sisters. The hosts are always so kind and full of compassion for their subscribers, but also provide a realness that’s lacks in every Instagram post. They shares their highs and lows, and haven proven to me that it’s okay to not always be okay. I listen while I’m out walking, cleaning my room, driving around, even working on schoolwork. It’s positive content that puts me in a good mood, and each week I am excited for new episodes! I also love music, specifically what I call “vibes music” which can be described as follows…

Picture this, you’re in your car driving into the sunrise through mountainous fields of flowers and trees. There’s a slight breeze and all is sound. You feel nothing but content.

That is what I’m looking for.

I find that my style of music consists of indie, low-fi, classical, even soft jazz. Wow, just writing this is making me smile… I love jazz. I find that listening to music that is more about the instrumental aspects rather than lyrics or a singer helps my mind drift into a zen place where I feel just happy. I can’t help but think that what goes into my ears into my brain is what will portray me. 

Technology, something that can be good and bad for the mind. When I’m not using social media as a good thing, I try to find other forms of content to fill my mind. Reading has been an amazing way for me to lose sight of everything around me and be transformed into a new world. I find comfort in reading because it is healthy for my mind, non-toxic, and does NOT require a quick response or charger.

There is nothing better than filling your mind and soul with positivity. While it may seem like high maintenance, it truly has a life-changing impact. These were only 4 of my non-negotiables, but there are so many more. 

My final verdict of being that girl is that it is a lifestyle, not a phase, not a concept, but a way of life. It has been the best shift in my life, it’s made me a better person! 2022 has already begun, however, it isn’t too late! Start being that girl to live your best life!