The Glow Up Isn't Always External: 5 Ways To Glow Up Internally

Many might equate “glowing up” with outer appearance. Some might identify it as being financially secure. In my opinion, the biggest bag anyone can secure is having an internal glow up. As my elders would say, “If you don’t fix what’s wrong on the inside, you will never find happiness.” This statement stuck with me forever. Happiness comes from within. I, personally, found myself trying to look for my happy place outside of me, when it was within the entire time.

I was the “yes” friend, the person who had an immense amount of self doubt, and someone who used “can’t” frequently. I am a work in progress, but below are 5 steps I took and am taking to become a better version of me. Because the glow up does not have a time limit or deadline.

Let go of things that no longer serve you

People. Jobs (if you can). Friendships. Unhealthy lifestyles and patterns. Let go of it all! Free yourself from people or situations that bring you down. The moment you let go of things that no longer serve you, better comes knocking on your door.

Celebrate your small wins

If you’ve been telling yourself that you want to get in shape and have been working out and lost a few pounds, that is a win. If you just got out of a toxic relationship, and you spent a full day without crying, that is a win. If you said you were no longer going to be the “yes girl” and actually committed to it, that is a win. Celebrate every milestone in your life because it took a lot of strength, discipline, and courage to get there.

No more negative talk about yourself

This means that the phrase “I can’t,” “It’ll never work out for me,” or  “I am never chosen or loved” is erased from your vocabulary. Instead of focusing on what you dislike about yourself, you are going to start affirming in your favor. So saying things like “Everything is going to be okay,” or “This will work out for me” are small steps to reprogramming the way we think about ourselves and certain situations. Replace words like “can’t” from your word bank immediately. All this does is perpetuate that negative thinking mentality that you programmed your subconscious to believe. I am a HUGE believer in the power of the tongue and mind. What you think about and speak highly of will manifest into your reality. 

Set boundaries

I mentioned briefly above about being the “yes girl” or “yes guy” and how freeing it is to finally be okay with saying “no.” But let’s talk about boundaries. Boundaries can look many different ways. If you expressed to your friend or whomever that you are not comfortable with x, y, or z and they don’t respect or acknowledge your wishes, setting a boundary is the healthy way to go. I’ll give you a personal example. I was dating someone who treated me like crap. When we broke up, I told my friend that I did not want to talk or hear anything about this person. I did not care who they were entertaining or what they said, and I surely did not want to hear anything they said about me. If this friend brought them up in conversation, I let them know that I could not continue to have conversations with them if the main topic was my ex. That was my boundary. 

Meditate/Affirm/Self-Care

A LOT of self-love goes a long way! Meditation and affirming are actually two of my favorite practices to do. Each morning, before I start my day, I put on my headphones and walk my dog. But instead of listening to music, I pray and express gratitude. I affirm and remind myself how amazing I am and work on my self-concept. I affirm for my past, present, and future. This sets the tone for how my day will look. Like I mentioned above, reprogramming your subconscious takes work when you’ve spoken negatively about yourself for so long. But with repetition and dedication, you can change the way you view yourself and the world. 

If affirming and meditating isn’t something you are too fond of, treating yourself to a self-care day can also be beneficial for your mental, emotional, and physical health. Self-care can look like turning your phone off for a day and doing absolutely nothing, or taking a trip to the spa, movies, or out to eat. Everyone’s definition of self-care looks different. 

The goal is to level up mentally and emotionally. I’ve always said the real bag is good mental health and being genuinely happy. I hope my suggestions help you in any way. Actually, I want to challenge you to try these new habits and report back to me. If you need an accountability partner or been searching for one, well look no further, she is right here. Hop in bestie, we’re off to glow up internally.