Wake up at 5 a.m., drink your matcha, do pilates, read a self-help book, and journal your way into the highest version of yourself. That’s what “That Girl” promised us. A perfectly curated life wrapped in neutral aesthetics, green juices, and quiet mornings spent in silk pajamas. It was a movement that took over social media feeds, making self-improvement look like a luxury good—aspirational, unattainable, and eerily uniform. But now, as the world shifts and redefines success, we have to ask: “Are we over it?”

The Rise of the ‘That Girl’ Phenomenon

The “That Girl” aesthetic was born out of the internet’s obsession with productivity and self-care. It was the love child of hustle culture and wellness trends, dressed up in perfectly lit morning routines and 10-step skincare regimens. She was the girl who had it all together. And if you followed her routine, you could have it too.

Except for most people, “That Girl” was never really attainable.

The aesthetic demanded discipline—but only in a way that looked beautiful on camera. It was about self-improvement, sure, but the kind that fit neatly into an Instagram story. If your life wasn’t aesthetic, was it even worth documenting? And therein lay the problem.

The Backlash: When Self-Improvement Becomes Performance

At first, “That Girl” felt empowering. Who doesn’t love a fresh start? Who doesn’t want to be their best self? But soon, the cracks in the aesthetic started to show.

What if you don’t like matcha? What if you hate waking up early? What if your version of self-care looks nothing like an influencer-approved morning routine?

The movement started to feel less like empowerment and more like an aesthetic contest. Instead of inspiring, it became another metric of success, another impossible standard to meet. The same way beauty standards tell us how we should look, “That Girl” told us how we should live. And when people realized that, they started opting out.

The Death of One Aesthetic = The Birth of Another

If social media has taught us anything, it’s that trends have a lifecycle. And now, we’re seeing a shift. Instead of the hyper-disciplined, hyper-curated life, people are embracing something a little messier.

Enter the “Lazy Girl Era”, the “Hot Mess Era”, and the “Main Character Era”. These are aesthetics that embrace imperfection, reject rigidity, and prioritize enjoyment over perfection. The new mindset isn’t about waking up at dawn to do pilates—it’s about waking up whenever you want and doing whatever makes you feel good.

And honestly? It’s refreshing.

So, Are We Over It?

Yes and no.

We’re over the rigidity. The pressure. The idea that success only looks one way. But self-improvement? That never goes out of style. The difference now is that we’re doing it on our terms. “That Girl” may be evolving, but the desire to grow, to feel good, to become our best selves? That stays.

So, if you want to drink matcha and wake up at 5 a.m., do it. But if you want to sleep in and drink coffee with way too much creamer? That’s fine too. The real glow-up is realizing that you get to define success for yourself.

Now, that’s a trend worth following.