She wakes up before sunrise, meditates, exercises, takes a shower, does her skincare routine, puts on her minimalistic, natural-looking make-up, and throws on clothes other than sweatpants and a hoodie, then makes a well-balanced, healthy breakfast. This is all before anyone has rolled out of their bed of course. 

“That girl” has her routine down to a T. Popularized on Tiktok during the initial quarantine in 2021, the trend swept over the for you pages of millions. Even on Youtube, many videos are discussing the topic of how to be, having the routine of, along with tricks and tips of being “that girl”. It is so popular that there is an entire aesthetic of health and wellness based on the term.

 Romanticizing your life could be an interesting way to get through the day but what can one get out of it? For a week I tried to take on the popularized lifestyle to answer this question. I researched youtube videos,  articles,  and  Tiktoks before I started. 

After looking at these videos I noticed that there is no one way to try to accomplish this lifestyle. I would see different schedules, plans, and routines to get the plethora of daily tasks completed. I did notice that there were a couple of common steps and portions of their routines and incorporated them into my own. They are as follows:

1. Waking up early (before the sun is up of course)
2. Completing a full-fledged skincare routine (we aren’t just washing our faces here)
3. Planning their events for the day and/or journaling
4. Drinking water consistently throughout the day
5. Eating healthy and making the meals themselves
6. Working out and/or taking walks

Monday, February 21:

I was able to complete all of my steps for the day. I was up early to make a healthy breakfast for myself and my family. Around noon I started to get ready for the week ahead. I made to-do lists and incorporated bits and pieces into my life that I did not already have in my life. Making sure to take a walk outside, get dressed even though I did not have school, work, or any other plans, get my lunch and notebooks ready for school. I was a bit excited to start the experiment but it took me forever to get some sleep since every bit of my time was taken up by productive self-care and homework.

Tuesday, February 22: 

I completed all of my steps except for one. I was unable to accomplish the waking-up early goal and went back under my covers when I heard the alarm. My schedule for that morning included making a healthy breakfast and trying to journal which I completed with ease. I even wrote in one of those journals that are specifically made for focusing on wellness and goals. Throughout my day, trying to accomplish all of my tasks was a bit much, and was tired by 5:30 pm. I did not get to sleep until 10 and every moment of my day was filled with tasks.

Wednesday, February 23:

The goals and steps that were set at the beginning of the week were starting to weigh on me. I did not want to get up early but I reluctantly got out of bed to start my morning with my 2-minute journal and skincare routine. I was feeling rushed to complete my work since I had an afternoon filled with tasks.  I was so busy and did not end up sleeping until two hours after it was planned.

Thursday, February 24:

Thursday was my hardest day. Although I was able to complete some tasks, I was trying to multitask the entire date even though this day was already scheduled with previous obligations leading to others not being done. I was busy from morning until evening and had to neglect some activities. The sacrifice that was the most detrimental was the lack of sleep from the previous night; however, it was the only way to get things done.

Friday, February 25:  

Friday was easier to wake up than others. With that great start to my day, I was able to get ready before the designated time that I was supposed to leave (unlike the other days previous). I accomplished the daily plans I had written out the night before and even have time to do other things. I even watched the new season of a show that I have been meaning to get caught upon.

Saturday, February 26:

At this point in my week waking up was no longer a problem. I wished that could be said for the rest of my daily tasks. I didn’t feel as though I accomplished anything more than the previous days although I was able to complete all of the steps. 

Sunday, February 27:

Sunday, I was determined to do more than I did during other days. I went to my part-time job and hung out with my friend after work and was still able to complete my daily tasks but not without some tribulation. I was struggling as the sun went down to keep up with the rest of my itinerary but ultimately was able to complete my tasks. 

Monday, February 28:  

Monday was the easiest it has ever been; however, I was still exhausted throughout my day. It was hard to do anything because of how tired I was and therefore didn’t finish all of my tasks. I had much more on my plate since it was the beginning of the week again. Some of the tasks were completed faster than other days because I have done them so frequently. I was finally able to keep myself on a schedule.

After my week of this experiment, I have realized a couple of things. The appeal of the tedious routine is romanticized on social media. The basic chores like watering your plants, completing your skincare routine, making breakfast, lunch, and dinner, are much more attractive when one is recording them and editing them into an aesthetically pleasing manner. 

I see some of the benefits of this lifestyle: waking up, being able to get daily activities done, feeling accomplished at the end of the day. I enjoyed the idea of taking the time to focus on myself and my activities throughout my day, but it is extremely time-consuming and physically taxing without having pre-existing responsibilities. This type of lifestyle should be a personal choice if one has the freedom in their schedule.