How to Be That Girl: The Realistic Guide
The habits behind the trend, a realistic daily routine you can copy, and how to make it all stick without burning out.
To be "that girl," build a small set of habits around sleep, movement, food, skin and headspace, then make each one easy enough to repeat on a bad day. That is the whole secret. The trend looks like green juice and a 5 a.m. alarm on your feed, but the part that actually changes how you look and feel is boring, repeatable and yours.
This is the realistic version: what the trend is, which habits are worth keeping, a sample day you can copy, and how to make it stick without turning your life into a content schedule.
- "That girl" is a set of habits, not an aesthetic. You can start with five minutes.
- Seven areas matter: sleep, mornings, movement, nourishment, skin, headspace and your space.
- Start with the smallest version of each habit. Consistency beats intensity every time.
- New habits take weeks to feel automatic, and missing one day does not reset you.
- Skip the parts that are about performing for other people. Keep the parts that make you feel good.
What "that girl" actually means
"That girl" is the woman who seems to have her routines together: she sleeps well, moves her body, eats food that makes her feel good, takes care of her skin, keeps her space calm and has a plan for her week. The look that comes with it (glowy skin, matching set, iced matcha) is the side effect, not the point.
The trend took off on TikTok in 2021, when a post about New Year's resolutions like eating more produce and reading more books snowballed into a whole genre of morning routine videos. By 2022 the #ThatGirl hashtag had passed two billion views, and it spread to YouTube and Pinterest as checklists, routines and mood boards.
It also picked up fair criticism. Psychologists and therapists have pointed out that the polished version sets unrealistic standards, assumes a lot of free time and money, and treats rest as failure. We agree with all of that. So this guide keeps the useful core, the habits, and drops the performance.
If a habit only works when someone is watching, it is content, not a routine. The that girl routines worth copying are the ones you would still do with your phone in another room.
The 7 pillars of the that girl lifestyle
Every version of the trend comes back to the same seven areas. For each one, here is the smallest step that counts and the version to build toward.
1. Sleep
Nothing on this list works if you are running on five hours. The CDC recommends 7 or more hours a night for adults, and its first sleep tip is the least glamorous one: go to bed and get up at the same time every day, weekends included.
Start with: a fixed wake-up time. Build toward: a wind-down routine that starts 30 to 60 minutes before bed. Our that girl night routine walks through it step by step.
2. Mornings
The morning routine is the signature of the trend, and it is where most people overdo it. You do not need two hours. You need a sequence you can run on autopilot: water, light, a little movement, skin, breakfast, a quick plan.
Start with: three steps you already half-do. Build toward: the full sequence in our that girl morning routine and checklist, including 15, 30 and 60-minute versions.
3. Movement
The official target is gentler than social media suggests. CDC guidance for adults is 150 minutes of moderate activity a week (about 30 minutes, five days a week) plus two days of muscle-strengthening, and it can be split into short chunks. A brisk walk counts. So does Pilates.
Start with: a 10-minute walk after lunch. Build toward: two strength or Pilates sessions and walks on most days.
4. Nourishment
That girl does not diet; she eats in a way that keeps her energy steady. In practice that means protein and produce at most meals, water throughout the day, and snacks that do not send you into a 3 p.m. crash. Our guides to foods for glowing skin and beating the afternoon slump go deeper.
Start with: one glass of water before coffee and one fruit or vegetable you actually like, daily. Build toward: a weekly grocery list built around meals you rotate, not rules.
5. Skin
The glow comes from basics done daily, not a 12-step routine. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends washing your face no more than twice a day and after sweating, using a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher, and always removing makeup before bed.
Start with: cleanser at night, sunscreen in the morning. Build toward: a simple morning and evening routine you do not have to think about. If you are curious about the inside-out side, start with our straight-talking guide to beauty from within.
6. Headspace
This is the part the trend gets most right and posts least. A few minutes of journaling, a gratitude list, a walk without a podcast, a boundary around your phone first thing in the morning. None of it needs a special notebook.
Start with: no scrolling for the first 15 minutes after you wake up. Build toward: a short daily check-in: one priority, one thing you are grateful for, one thing you are letting go of.
7. Your space and your week
That girl's secret weapon is not a planner, it is a reset. Clean sheets, a clear counter, groceries in the fridge and a rough plan for the week remove dozens of small decisions before they happen.
Start with: make your bed and clear one surface each morning. Build toward: a weekly Sunday reset routine.
A realistic that girl daily routine
Here is one sample day built from those pillars. Treat the times as placeholders: the order matters more than the clock.
| When | Habit | Why it earns its spot |
|---|---|---|
| Wake up | Water, open the curtains or step outside | Daylight is the strongest signal for your body clock |
| First 30 min | Stretch or walk, cleanse, moisturize, SPF | Movement and skincare done before the day gets loud |
| Breakfast | Something with protein and fiber | Keeps you full longer than a pastry alone |
| Morning | One priority, phone on focus mode | A single win beats a long to-do list |
| Lunch | Real meal, then a 10-minute walk | Helps with the post-lunch dip |
| 3 p.m. | Water and a planned snack | Prevents the vending machine decision |
| Evening | Movement, dinner, tidy one space | Tomorrow-you starts with a clear kitchen |
| Wind-down | Screens off, skincare, read or journal | Protects the 7+ hours that make everything else work |
If that looks like a lot, pick two rows this week and add one more next week. That is not a lesser version of the routine. It is the only version that lasts. For the hour-by-hour version with a midday reset, see our that girl daily routine.
How to become that girl without burning out
Expect weeks, not days
In a well-known study of how habits form in real life, researchers at University College London followed people adding one new daily habit. It took a median of 66 days for the habit to feel automatic, with a huge range between people, from under three weeks to most of a year. The encouraging finding: missing a single day did not meaningfully set anyone back. Miss a day, do it the next.
Stack habits onto things you already do
Attach each new habit to an existing one: sunscreen goes on right after you brush your teeth, a walk starts when your lunch ends, the planner opens when your coffee is poured. The old habit becomes the reminder. We use the same trick for supplements in how to remember to take your vitamins.
Shrink it until it is easy
Every habit has a two-minute version: one page of reading, one set of squats, one sentence in a journal. On busy days, do the tiny version. You are protecting the habit, not the workout.
Make the healthy choice the fun one
People keep the habits they enjoy. That is why the that girl aesthetic works as motivation: a pretty glass makes water more appealing, a playlist makes the walk happen. The same logic is behind our functional candy. A Peptide Glow Pop with your morning planning session or a daily pack of It Girl Snack in your bag turns "take your supplements" into something you look forward to. Candy is not magic, but a routine you enjoy is one you will still be doing in three months.
Design your space for the habit
Put the water bottle on your desk, the sneakers by the door and the phone charger outside the bedroom. Visible cues do a lot of the willpower work for you.
That girl habits checklist
Screenshot this and check off what you already do. Most people are closer than they think.
- I go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time, even on weekends
- I get daylight within an hour of waking
- I drink water before my first coffee
- I wear sunscreen every day, SPF 30 or higher
- I move for at least 20 to 30 minutes on most days
- I eat protein and a fruit or vegetable at most meals
- I have a planned afternoon snack instead of a desperate one
- I take off my makeup and cleanse every night
- My phone stays out of reach for the first and last 15 minutes of the day
- I do a weekly reset: laundry, groceries, a plan for the week
- I do one thing a day that is purely for fun
What that girl is not
- Not a body type. These habits support energy, sleep, skin and mood. They are not a weight-loss plan.
- Not expensive. The highest-impact habits (sleep, daylight, walking, water, sunscreen) cost almost nothing.
- Not a 5 a.m. alarm. A consistent schedule matters more than an early one.
- Not perfect. The real version includes skipped workouts, takeout and lazy Sundays. Rest is part of the routine.
- Not a comparison game. Someone else's routine was built for their schedule, their job and their body.
Your that girl reading list
- That Girl Morning Routine: a realistic checklist
- That Girl Night Routine: the evening checklist for better sleep and skin
- The Glow Up Checklist
- Sunday Reset Routine and checklist
- How to beat the afternoon slump
- Healthy candy alternatives that actually taste like candy
- The that girl daily routine, morning to night
- Healthy girl era: 10 realistic habits
- Beauty from within: the honest guide
Questions people actually ask
What does it mean to be "that girl"?
Being "that girl" means living by a consistent set of healthy habits: good sleep, a calm morning routine, regular movement, nourishing food, simple skincare and time to plan and reflect. It started as a TikTok trend in 2021, and at its best it is about feeling good in your own life, not looking a certain way.
How can I become that girl fast?
You can start today, but habits take time to become automatic. In one well-known study it took a median of 66 days for a new daily habit to stick. The fastest route is to start small: fix your wake-up time, get morning daylight, drink water before coffee and wear sunscreen daily, then add one habit a week.
What is a that girl routine?
A that girl routine is a repeatable daily sequence of healthy habits, usually a morning routine (water, daylight, movement, skincare, breakfast, planning) and a night routine (screens off, skincare, reading or journaling, a consistent bedtime). The best one is short enough to follow on your busiest day.
Is the that girl trend toxic?
It can be when it becomes about perfection, comparison or restriction, and experts have criticized it for setting unrealistic standards. The habits underneath it, like sleep, movement, daylight and good food, are genuinely healthy. Keep those, lose the pressure, and build in rest.
What are that girl habits?
The most common that girl habits are a consistent sleep schedule, a morning routine with water and daylight, regular movement like walking or Pilates, meals built around protein and produce, daily sunscreen and simple skincare, a few minutes of journaling or planning, and a weekly reset of your space.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, About Sleep (recommended hours and sleep habits).
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Adult Activity: An Overview.
- American Academy of Dermatology, Face washing 101 and How to apply sunscreen.
- Lally P, et al. How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 2010.
- Sleep Foundation, Light and Sleep.
- Wikipedia, That Girl (trend) (origin and criticism of the trend).
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition, talk to your doctor before changing your routine or adding a supplement. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
