Alone With My Thoughts: "That Girl" Trend

I’m Shelby, I live on my own, and I am constantly walking around my apartment talking to myself. I’ve decided it’s time to talk to all of you. Welcome to Alone With My Thoughts, a series of my completely unsolicited opinions on pop culture, media, and life.

If you’re chronically on TikTok like me, you’ve probably seen the “That Girl” trend going around. Essentially everyone wants to wake up at 5 am to exercise, wear neutrals and drink green juice. Shockingly, I'm actually not here to bash it.

I’m 100% guilty of getting hooked on those videos, I think there’s a good amount of positivity in the intent behind the trend, and I like it. But of course, with all of this has come criticism of the trend, somewhat of an “anti-that girl” movement. Basically people saying it’s unrealistic, they’re tired of seeing it, etc. I think that’s kind of annoying in itself; hating on a trend that is purely intended to inspire. At the same time, I won’t pretend like I don’t get where that criticism comes from. I probably land somewhere in the middle of loving it and hating it. I think that what I really don’t like about it is actually the name that people have attributed to this trend.

Something about “that girl” rubs me the wrong way. It makes it sound as though you need to change yourself to fit this aesthetic, and in order to have this lifestyle. When in reality, it’s completely the opposite. It’s really about how these new habits can fit into the lifestyle you already have. I think there’s a way to find the balance of being “that girl” and being true to yourself.

Personally, I will never wake up at 6 am to go to the gym. I’ll never wake up at 6 am period, it’ll simply never happen. And I know this about myself. I try to take every one of these “recommendations” with a grain of salt. I see someone on TikTok waking up at the ass crack of dawn to workout and I think, good for them, couldn’t be me though. But I could see myself incorporating neutrals and green juice into my day to day life. So I started there, and I feel like when I want to add in more of those “that girl” attributes, I can and I will. But - only when I feel like it.

I want to be “that girl” but on my own terms. And that’s how I think people should go about this trend. I know it’s not easy to think that way when you see how put together these girls’ lives seem to be, and it can seem intimidating. Don’t feel pressured to make changes to your lifestyle unless you want to. And if you want to, take it step by step if it seems overwhelming.

Be “that girl” on your own terms.