We have all seen the “THAT girl” trend taking over social media by storm. It essentially is a mantra of living life for yourself and truly putting yourself first, by implementing self-care tactics and personal improvement/development skills to be the girl everyone aspires to be! This is a very aspirational lifestyle, but at the same time, this lifestyle looks different to everyone and I believe all forms of it is realistic, because it is based on what YOU can do for yourself. With that being said, this is a guide from my point of view, the things that set me up for success, what I love doing on a daily basis, that make me feel whole, and bring me that much closer to living the life that I want. Here are my 5 key steps on how to create an effective daily routine, and become THAT girl. Feel free save and share this post for future reference! Also, to see my on-the-go pictures, I have linked my Instagram here. I would appreciate the support on there, as I work to share more tips and tricks with you all! I hope this guide helps you realize that taking pictures is not as daunting and overwhelming as it may seem! I hope this helps you too, enjoy!
DAILY ROUTINE: SKINCARE
- Taking daily showers: Showers wake up the body and restore moisture to the skin. Showers don’t have to be super long, just enough to cleanse your body and hair! I aim for 5-6 minutes!
- Putting clean products on skin: My face product list has grown and I am always switching up and trying new products. It is actually good for your skin to switch up some products from time to time, especially around the times you breakout! I always go for products that are made without processed chemicals and toxins that can clog pores and negatively effect my skin!
- Exfoliate: This is a game changer! This step is one people often forget, but exfoliation is essential to keeping the skin looking youthful and feeling ultra smooth! Exfoliating 1-2 times a week is ideal. I listed a few of my current favorite scrubs here!
- Medicate skin if needed: I struggled with cystic acne since I was in middle school. I learned early on that I have to invest in quality products that have a sole purpose in healing my acne and blemishes. First Aid Beauty, Peace Out Skincare, and Differin are some of my recent favorite brands for treating acne!
- Brands with great products: For skincare, I definitely believe investing in good brands is a priority! Other than the ones I mentioned above, I love Drunk Elephant, Good Molecules, Biore, Clearasil, and use them in my daily routine. Here is a link to view some of my favorite items! If you already love Drunk Elephant, check out this post: 8 Must-Try Drunk Elephant Products.
FITNESS & EXERCISE
- Commit to 30 minutes: 30 minutes of moving your body is a great starting goal in your day to day process. Think of this time slot in your day to be just for you, to improve your physical health! Once you make a habit of it, you can increase your threshold and incorporate multiple streams of activity per day! There are multiple ways you can use your time for exercise, and I will share my favorites below! Keep in mind that you should always listen to your body and do the movement and exercises that you enjoy. Find alternatives to these if these are not activities that spark your interest. At the end of the day, it is about what makes you feel great and what gets you upbeat and motivated to move for the sake of your physical and mental well being.
- Taking walks: I was never a huge walking person, and I am actually embarrassed to say that. Walking is one of the most simple ways to get your body active, muscles engaged, and heart rate up, and it is very low impact! Since the start of quarantine, I made it a goal to go on a 3 mile walk per week, and usually split the miles up on multiple days. It was something that at first was intimidating, but now I walk on average 6-7 miles per week! As always, find your happy medium and go from there!
- At-home workouts: These were always around, but really took the world by storm when quarantine hit! I have done some of the Rumble and Barry’s Instagram live workouts and found them to be super engaging, motivating, and worked me hard! There are also many Youtube athletes who thrive on bringing their workouts to a larger audience. I recently tried Sami Clarke’s workout and LOVED it!
- Gym workouts: I have always loved the gym and have been going for years. I grew up an athlete so I was always in a gym environment, so it acts more of a safe and calming space than anything. At the gym I usually do 15-20 minutes of cardio (treadmill and/or stair master), then I do some HIIT/plyometrics, an ab circuit and/or boxing. I have added in deadlift weights because that has helped me tone up extremely quickly!
- Equipment to get started: Here is a link to the equipment I use for gym and home workouts! I also use the WHOOP band and app to track all of the movement, strain, recovery, and sleep! Get a free WHOOP strap and your first month free when you join with my link!
BRAIN DEVELOPMENT & KNOWLEDGE
- Podcast recommendations: I recently started listening to podcasts for motivation and inspiration. Podcasts have been a great way for me to unwind, hear different voices, learn something new about an experience, and get helpful advice on how to use their journey to guide how I can apply it in my life. The podcasts that I have been loving are The Second Life by Hilary Kerr, and The BossBabe Podcast with Natalie Ellis and Danielle Canty.
- Book recommendations: I was never big on reading books; I actually hated it growing up! One of my goals during quarantine was to find a collection of interesting books and read them all in my free time. Books that are on my list are: Atomic Habits by James Clear, Sorry Not Sorry by Sophie Ranald, Know Your Power by Nancy Pelosi, and Becoming by Michelle Obama. Here is a link to view these books and more!
- Journaling: I’ve been journaling since I was a kid, and it has truly helped me express myself in ways that I would not have the courage to. I like to free-write, but I recently started to do guided journals. They have prompts in them to guide your focus throughout each day. The Five Minute Journal is such a great tool i’ve been using to stay on track with my mental progress each day! Here is the link to view it!
- Therapy: I’ve shared my therapy journey at length on my blog, and believe it has been one of the most fulfilling and enriching aspects I introduced into my life. It has grounded me in ways I cannot imagine doing on my own, and has allowed me to express myself and exhibit true growth personally, professionally, and mentally. We all have a broken part of us that can benefit through use of therapy. Click here to read “How Therapy Changed my Life”.
- Inspirational quotes: On Instagram and Pinterest, I have created saved lists and boards for quotes, mantras, and passages, that uplift me in times when I truly need it! I’ve linked my Instagram and Pinterest for your browsing convenience!
NUTRITION & FOOD INTAKE
- Hot water with lemon: This is a proven healthy staple to anyone’s daily routine! I drink 1-2 cups a day and always start my morning with one! There are multiple benefits for drinking this, including: promotes hydration, supports weight loss, aids digestion, and improves skin quality!
- Eating “whole” foods: I have been loving my clean eating and feel completely satisfied with the change! I am a loyal Trader Joe’s shopper, and put together a comprehensive list of the healthy items I like to buy there. Check out the post here!
- Incorporating lots of greens: My favorite way to eat greens is as a side with a meal, but I have recently been loving adding greens to smoothies! Greens such as kale, cucumber, celery, are easy to throw into a smoothie and it masks the taste of the vegetable itself if you aren’t a huge fan!
- Eating more lean meats: I largely cut out red meat in my diet, but will eat it only occasionally, (I try not to buy it while grocery shopping!). As an alternative, i’ve been eating a lot more fish and seafood such as shrimp and salmon. For poultry, I eat ground turkey and chicken!
- Limiting alcohol intake: This is something that will improve your overall wellbeing! Alcohol has a lot of empty calories, and also significantly affects your dopamine levels. I try to limit drinking to only the weekends and always do detox regimens in between! As with everything, moderation is key!
INVESTING IN A POSITIVE SPACE
- Room & apartment decorations: I take great pride in creating a beautiful and cozy space for myself to live and work in. I wrote a whole post about all the items I added to my space and where I got all my items! Check out that post here!
- Adding plants and flowers: This is a perfect way to bring life into your space, and create dimension and color! The above referenced post shares where I found my plants, and most of them were from Facebook Marketplace!
- Cleaning routine: I deep clean my apartment every Sunday, and it is a great ritual i’ve stuck with. Sunday is the “get myself together” day, and by decluttering and tidying up my space, I feel that I am setting myself up for success for the upcoming week. Deep clean for me includes: laundry for bedding and clothes, disinfecting all surfaces, sweeping and mopping the floor, cleaning the glass surfaces, & putting away makeup/toiletries.
- Upbeat music recommendations: I love listening to music, and believe that it is the easiest way to uplift my mood! Check out what I listen to on Spotify here!
- Items to improve your productivity: There are a few items I have in my room that significantly help me succeed in efficiency during my day! Check out all the products here!
I hope you enjoyed this “How to Create an Effective Daily Routine” listing and found it helpful for yourself! Please comment thoughts and questions below, and share with your friends and family! Thank you for your continued support! You can download my FREE Template here!
