Bewritings

Looking after yourself is a good thing. A great thing, even. Prioritising self-care is an important part of managing our mental well-being. Whether it’s drinking more water, practising meditation or simply establishing a consistent exercise regime: making small changes towards healthier habits has so many benefits!

Since the tragedy of the Covid-19, a larger focus on these benefits has come into view. A 2021 survey conducted by Champneys showed that since the pandemic, 30% of Brits now invest more time in self-care, with 25% feeling less pressure to get aesthetic treatments. This shift away from external beauty to internal wellness is a promising sign. The very definition of self-care highlights ‘the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness…’ and doesn’t include any mention of beautification.

However, it is pushed onto us that conforming to beauty standards is self-care. Teeth-whitening? Self-care! A manicure? Self-care! A full body wax that leaves you sore for hours? You guessed it! ‘Self-care.’ Pushing these beauty treatments to fit a particular image is often just companies attempting to sell products under the guise of well-being.

Doing these treatments to make yourself feel good obviously can help with confidence, but self-care goes far beyond this. Authentic self-care can often be overshadowed by a picturesque ideal, taking care of yourself has to look a ‘certain way.’ Enter the ‘It’ Girl.

I’m sure many of us have seen the aesthetic ‘day in my life videos’ on TikTok or YouTube. Wake up at 5 am, exercise for 2 hours, elaborate skin-care regime at 7:05 am, cook an array of healthy meals, attend all important meetings, dedicate an hour to journalling, complete your to-do list, study for 2 hours, solve world peace by around 5 pm and be in bed by 9 pm. And repeat.

The ‘It’ Girl regime packages an exhausting (and usually unachievable) lifestyle into a pretty 30-second edited video. Although being this productive 24/7 sounds appealing, it is unlikely it will help with your personal well-being. Modern society pushes this ‘grind culture’: being extensively productive whilst looking gorgeous is what we should all strive for.

Research from Glassdoor in 2022 discovered that ‘negative discussion around burnout amongst UK workers has increased 48%…’ This shows that ‘grind culture’ is negatively impacting us across the board. However, the ‘It’ Girl phenomenon is an extremely feminised subject. Women can’t just be hard workers, they need to look glamorous whilst doing it, to show they ‘take care of themselves.’ Gross.

Really, there are two main flaws in the ‘It’ Girl. For one, it pushes unrealistic ideals onto women (as most things in life do.) Even when simply doing errands, you must look ‘put together’ and ‘chic.’ For two, this hustle culture really sets women up for failure. Promoting this relentless productivity is not sustainable and will inevitably lead to burnout. Alternatively, not following this intense regime can just bring about feelings of inadequacy.

To summarise beauty standards + consumerism = ‘It’ Girl Trope.

The trope is so monetized that specific material items are heavily associated with the image. Right now, you need the Stanley Cup (with the straw!), because it’s the best way to stay hydrated. £37.37 on Amazon. But, a few months ago everyone had the Dyson Airwrap for a quick and convenient hairstyle. £449.99. You also need to have fridge organisers so you can find your snacks in a pinch. £39.99 on Amazon. The list goes on.

Becoming an ‘It’ Girl may seem like a great idea, but it’s just over-spending and over-exhaustion under the illusion of self-care and productivity.