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There comes a point in time in life when we seem to flip a switch and things start to become different.
Some call it maturity, some call it growing up, while some call it a glow up.
No matter what it’s called, it is for certain that we will experience it one day.
In this post, you will learn how to have a glow up and get lots of examples of what to do to make it happen.
What is a Glow Up?
A glow up is a period of time in which you are feeling your best and going through a personal transformation for the better.
It is a time of growth, change, and increasing maturity, and it can be the result of any number of things: a new job, a new relationship, or even just taking better care of yourself.
A glow up doesn’t have to be something you set out for—it can just happen to you. But if you want to make sure that it does, here’s a few tips:
- Make an effort to surround yourself with people who support your growth
- Learn something new every day (even if it’s just how to cook the perfect omelette)
- Do at least one thing every day that brings you joy (so long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else!)
A glow up is a moment of self-discovery, when you realize that you are capable of more than you ever realized.
It’s the moment when you realize that the person you’ve always been is not necessarily who you need to be, and you stop caring about what other people think of you and decide to be yourself.
What Are Signs of a Glow Up?
A glow up is when you’re feeling at your best, and you’ve got the confidence to show it! It’s about owning your good looks and letting them shine through.
Here are some signs that you might be going through a glow up:
- You’re making better choices. Maybe that means eating healthier or getting more sleep—whatever it is, it’s helping you feel like you’re on the right track
- You feel more comfortable in your own skin than ever before. You’re not afraid to show off your true self, and you know who you are
- You’re feeling more confident in making decisions and taking risks, because you know that even if you fail, it’s not the end of the world—and there’ll be another chance next time around!
- You get a new job, and instead of feeling like you have to fake it, you’re just like “I’m going to be myself here, and it’s going to be awesome.”
- You’re able to get through an entire day without checking your phone for a new notification.
- You have less of a need for validation from others, and instead are basking in your own self-love.
- You’re ready for a change in style or appearance—maybe it’s growing out your hair or getting new highlights put in; maybe it’s trying out some new makeup techniques; maybe it’s buying a new outfit… whatever it is, you’re ready for something different!
You should know that none of these should be a forced action, but rather something that comes on its own.
That is a real sign of a glow up.
What Age do You Normally Glow Up?
The most common age to glow up is between the ages of 20-30.
The age at which you glow up is a personal decision that only you can make.
However, there is one thing that I think everyone should consider: the fact that it is important to know what your body needs.
You should not be afraid to ask yourself questions like “What makes me feel good?” or “What do I need right now?”
If you don’t know what your body needs, then how will you ever be able to give it what it needs?
And if you don’t know what makes you feel good, then how will you ever know when something isn’t working for you?
It may seem like a lot of work, but really all it takes is a little bit of self-reflection and a willingness to learn more about yourself so that you can better understand where your own personal growth lies.
What is a Glow Up Challenge?
A personal glow up challenge is an exercise that helps you live your best life. It’s a way to make changes gradually, so they stick.
The idea behind a personal glow up challenge is simple: you take one small step every day for the next 30 days, and by the end of it, you’ll have made significant progress toward an overall goal.
You can do this with anything from eating better and exercising more to quitting smoking or starting a new career.
Whatever you choose, it’s about giving yourself time to adjust to these new habits before moving on to the next phase of your life.
By committing to a series of small, manageable actions each and every day for thirty days (yes, it’s just thirty days), you can go from where you are now to where you want to be in the blink of an eye.
Tips to Glow Up Mentally and Physically
A glow up is a personal transformation for sure.
It’s about self-improvement and self-love.
It’s about making a change for the better, and it’s not just something you do with your appearance—your body and mind can both benefit from a glow up!
Here are some ways that you can upgrade your physical and mental health so that you’re completely transformed as a person.
1. Sorting the Closet
You’ll want to start by sorting through your wardrobe, getting rid of clothes you don’t wear, that don’t fit, or that make you feel bad.
Also, toss out ones that are too old or worn out. If they are still in good condition, consider donating them.
If it’s not a favorite, why hold on to it?
You’ll be surprised how much this can change your mood!
2. Invest in New Clothes For a New Look
It’s true: new clothes can make you feel like a brand-new person.
But it’s not just about the feeling—it’s about how others see you.
When you have confidence and style, people will notice and treat you differently.
Buying new clothes is an investment in yourself.
It shows that you’re committed to making positive changes and putting your best self forward.
3. Experiment With Makeup
You don’t have to look like an Instagram model with perfect skin and a contour that makes everyone say “wow” when they see it.
Instead, try something new!
Maybe your skin looks better with more blush or maybe you don’t need as much highlight on your cheekbones as you thought.
Experimenting with makeup can help you figure out what works best for YOUR face shape and YOUR skin tone.
4. Start a Skincare Routine
You can’t just slap on some moisturizer and call it a day. You need to have a complete skincare routine that works for your skin type, and you need to stick with it.
That doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune either. Follow these basic steps each day to see improvement fast:
- Wash your face at night and in the morning
- Moisturize
- Exfoliate
- Use sunscreen when you’re outside
- Get facials and other treatments every once in a while
There is more you can do, but I recommend starting with these simple steps before you start trying something else.
5. Try Out A New Hairstyle
Your hair is an incredible tool for self-expression and can be used to make a powerful statement about who you are and what’s important to you.
Here are a couple of tips for making sure your next haircut helps you feel like the best version of yourself:
- Have fun with it! Don’t be afraid to experiment with colors and styles until something clicks. There are no rules when it comes to DIY hairstyles, so get creative and try out something new!
- Talk with your stylist beforehand so they know what kind of vibe you’re going for before they start cutting (or coloring). This way, they can help guide the process along the path toward greatness!
6. Drink Lots of Water
Water is essential to your health and well-being, but it can also help you look more beautiful.
It helps flush out toxins from your body, which makes it easier for you to get rid of acne and other skin issues.
Not only that, but it also helps keep your skin hydrated and glowing.
Drink half your body weight in ounces every day (that’s about 2 liters for most adults).
It might seem like A LOT at first, but I promise you that after a few weeks, you’ll get used to it.
7. Eating healthier
The average American consumes about 77 grams of sugar per day.
That’s more than three times what nutritionists recommend!
And most of those sugars are hidden in foods we don’t even realize they’re there like bread, cereals, and pasta sauces.
Start by making small changes to your diet.
Instead of eating candy bars every day at work, try having an apple instead!
It’s so much better for you and will keep you feeling full longer than candy bars ever could!
Here are a few more tips you already knew but likely not following:
- Eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
- Avoid processed foods and sugary drinks.
- Eat fish, beans, and nuts regularly. They’re high in protein, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that help keep you feeling energized throughout the day.
8. Improve Your Posture
A little bit of self-awareness and a willingness to make small changes in how you carry yourself throughout the day can make such a big difference in your posture.
So next time you’re at home or out with friends, take a moment to check yourself in the mirror (or even just ask a friend).
Check out how your posture looks right now:
- Are your shoulders slumped?
- Are your arms crossed?
- Are your hands in fists?
- Are your feet pointed inward or outward?
Let these questions guide you as you work on improving each aspect of your posture one step at a time!
9. Exercise and Get in Shape
There’s nothing like the feeling of being in shape.
You look great, you feel great, and there’s something about the confidence that comes with being fit that can really help you step up your game in every aspect of your life.
Exercise can help you feel better about yourself in so many ways.
It helps you sleep better, relieves stress and anxiety, reduces depression, and improves your mood.
Start with something manageable like a 30-minute walk and slowly increase the intensity.
Be sure to add 3 sessions per week to your calendar right now!
10. Get More Sleep
Sleep is the time when your body gets to do all the cool stuff it does when you’re not conscious—your brain is recharging, your body is healing itself from any damage sustained during the day (or even from years before), and your immune system is getting stronger.
All of these things are necessary for you to be able to handle whatever life throws at you with confidence and a smile on your face.
To have a good sleep, here are a few things that always work for me:
- Go to bed at the same time every night. Your body will begin to associate this time with rest and relaxation—and eventually, it’ll become easier to fall asleep at that time.
- Don’t eat right before bedtime (more than 2 hours before bed). Eating stimulates your digestion system, which can keep you awake if you do it right before going to sleep.
- Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool enough so that you don’t have trouble getting comfortable in bed. If there’s anything else that will make you feel more relaxed (like some scented candles), consider adding them!
Starting a nighttime self-care routine is a great idea!
11. Get Rid of Bad Habits
Bad habits can be hard to break because they are rewarding.
They can also be difficult to break because they’re easy to do and require no mental effort.
For example, if you eat fast food every day after work, all you have to do is drive through a drive-thru window and pay for your food with the money in your pocket at the end of the day.
That’s easy!
Start by being honest with yourself: If you need help quitting a habit, the first thing you should do is be honest with yourself about what it is that’s making you want to keep doing it.
Is it peer pressure? Are you bored? Are you stressed out?
The more specific and honest your answers are, the easier it will be for you to figure out how to stop doing whatever it is that’s causing problems for your health and well-being.
Secondly, keep track of when these habits happen: You might be surprised at how often they happen!
If they happen at certain times of the day or under certain circumstances, then this can help point out what kinds of situations make them more likely for happening again in the future so that you can avoid or be prepared to handle them.
Making use of a self care tracker can help you be more successful.
12. Removing Negative People From Your Life
As a general rule, you should be around people who are positive.
You need to surround yourself with people who make you happy and lift you up.
Start hanging out with supportive friends because it will motivate you and help keep you focused on your goals.
This might sound harsh but it’s true—people who consistently bring negativity into their lives don’t know what they’re missing out on if they don’t surround themselves with positive influences instead!
Have a toxic friend? Stay far away from him or her!
13. Be Open Minded and Curious
When you’re open-minded and curious, you’ll find yourself constantly learning new things and meeting new people who can teach you something.
And when you’re learning new things, you’re growing as a person: your horizons are expanding, and your perspective is changing.
When you’re curious about other people’s experiences in life, it makes them feel important and appreciated—and that makes them want to help YOU out too!
Curiosity helps us find our passions and figure out how best to pursue them—which means that it helps us find our purpose in life!
14. Investing in Personal Development
Recognize that there’s always room for improvement.
No matter where you are in life, there will always be ways to get better—and the sooner you realize that and start working on those things, the sooner you’ll see results.
Identify the areas you want to improve in and start taking action!
Invest in yourself so that you can grow into the person you want to be!
15. Get Away From Social Media
It’s easy to let the world tell you who and what you should be.
Something really good you can do for yourself? Get away from social media.
When we allow ourselves to get caught up in what others think of us, we lose sight of what’s most important: being true to ourselves.
This is especially true when it comes to our looks—and even more so when it comes to our bodies.
We live in a world that bombards us with images of perfection, but those images aren’t real.
They’re edited, they’re Photoshopped, they’re filtered, they’re touched up and smoothed over until they look like the product of some magical fairy dust rather than something real people could actually achieve.
And then there are all those ads that tell us we need this or that product so we can “have a glow up,” or “look like a celebrity,” or whatever else.
Well, guess what? If you want to have a glow-up, get away from all that stuff!
When you get away from social media and all those terrible ads telling you how much better your life will be if only you buy this or that product… well then things start looking up!
You start feeling more confident about yourself and your body, a real glow up!
16. Organize a Self Care Party
Self care is integral to having a glow up, and while most of the time it involves only you, there’s nothing to say that you cannot invite friends.
Organizing a self-care party is an awesome way to share with your friends all the benefits and get yourself surrounded by a group of like-minded and supportive people.
Next weekend’s activity? Learn how to host a self care party.
17. Use Positive Affirmations to Become More Confident
Affirmations help us take control of our own thoughts and feelings about ourselves—and that means we can use them to help us glow up.
A positive affirmation is simply a statement that you repeat over and over until it becomes ingrained in your subconscious mind as a belief.
The idea is that by repeating these statements on a regular basis, eventually, they will become true for you.
An example is, “I am confident in my own skin and do not need others’ validation” or check out this list of affirmations to stop caring what others think.
Positive affirmations have been shown to help people improve their confidence levels and self-esteem while also reducing stress and anxiety levels overall.
18. Learn About Manifestation
Manifestation is the ability to create a life that you love.
It’s a practice that allows you to see the possibilities in your life and create them, rather than letting circumstances and situations dictate your life.
We all have the power to manifest our dreams, but we need to learn how to harness that power.
To some, it might sound like some kind of strange and unbelievable trick, but in all honesty, it has helped me greatly in developing the right kind of mindset for success.
19. Set Goals To Conquer
Setting goals is the first step in any successful plan.
If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you’ve arrived?
A goal can be anything from getting more sleep to eating more vegetables.
Make sure your goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely (or Specific).
This will help keep them from becoming too vague or confusing—you’ll know exactly what they mean and why they’re important.
Be sure to set up accountability measures.
This can be anything from enlisting someone else’s help in achieving your goal to setting reminders or alarms on your phone so that you don’t forget about it!
20. Make More Time For Yourself
When we’re busy with school or work or family obligations, we tend not to take time out of our day for ourselves—and that’s okay sometimes!
But if it becomes too much of a habit, then we’re not taking care of ourselves properly anymore: we’re neglecting our mental health, physical health, and even our spiritual health because we don’t have time for any of them!
Learn about the types of self care we need to be aware of.
When was the last time you took the time to do something just because it made YOU feel good?
Because when we put our own needs first, we can be better at putting other people’s needs first—and we all know how important that is!
21. Learn How to Practice Gratitude
When you think about the people you love, how do you feel?
Do you feel warmth in your heart? Do you feel lightness in your body? Do you feel like smiling so hard that your cheeks hurt?
If so, congratulations! You’re probably feeling gratitude.
Gratitude is one of those feelings that can really make a person’s day—and it’s also one of the easiest to cultivate.
Here are some ways to get started:
- Make a list of things for which you’re grateful. It could be anything: your family, your friends, the internet. It doesn’t matter what it is; just write it all down!
- Practice being grateful on a daily basis. Don’t wait until Thanksgiving or another special occasion; just start right now! The more often you do it, the easier it will become and the more likely it will be for other positive emotions to follow.
- Remember that gratitude isn’t just about saying “thank you” when someone does something nice for us—it’s about acknowledging every little thing in life that makes us happy and helps us grow as a person
22. Listen to Music
If you’re feeling down in the dumps or need some inspiration, put on some upbeat music.
Try listening to something with a good fast beat—something that makes you want to get up and dance around!
You’ll find that after a few minutes of dancing around like an idiot looking ridiculous, your mood will change for the better.
And when you feel better about yourself, then it becomes easier to tackle whatever problem is bothering you.
23. Creating a Morning Routine
Having a routine lets you be in control and become more productive and the best way to start a morning routine is by writing it down.
A good morning routine should be both physical and mental, so you need to figure out the best combination of things that will set your day up for success.
You will want to make sure your morning ritual is something you can do without fail, even if you’re feeling tired or uninspired.
Here are some examples of potential morning routines:
- Eating breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up
- Working out for 20-30 minutes every day
- Reading the news headlines
- Meditation/yoga/deep breathing/visualization
- Getting dressed while reading emails or listening to podcasts on your phone (if this isn’t too disruptive)
24. Investing in New Technology
A glow up is a transformation, and it can happen in many ways.
Consider investing in new technology that will save you time and money.
Here are two ways new tech can help you have a glow up:
- Save Time: The first step to getting organized is setting up systems that will allow you to work faster. Investing in new software or equipment can help you save time by automating repetitive tasks or making it easier for you to access information on the go
- Save Money: New tech doesn’t just make your life easier; it also helps you save money. You can automate some of your expenses by using apps like IFTTT (If This Then That) which will prompt certain actions based on certain triggers (like if it rains, send me an email). You could also use tools like Mint to keep track of all of your accounts so you don’t overspend!
In Conclusion: How to have a glow up mentally and physically?
There are lots of useful tips above that you can implement right away. to enhance your glow up, but don’t feel like you need to do everything at once, or even at all.
Take it easy on yourself and be open to discovery.
Learn more about yourself and what you like and you will chart your own path ahead.
Loving yourself should be easy, and here are a bunch of fun self care activities or physical self care you can engage in!
