How to Glow Up This Year In 12 Easy Steps

Did someone say glow up season?! It’s never too late or too early for a good glow up challenge.

I have put together a list of all the things that I do whenever I’m needing a good refreshing boost after falling off of my daily routine.

Now, you may be wondering what the heck does a glow up even mean?! First off, I want to point out that glowing up isn’t always about the way you look. A glow up has a whole lot to do with the way you feel about yourself both inside and out.

If you have been feeling off your game lately, a glow up challenge just might do the trick! Keep reading to discover exactly how these glow up tips can help you feel better, look better, and become better in no time at all!

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Body Glow Up

Drink more water

Drinking water is something that I have always struggled with. It’s not that I don’t like water, I’m just literally never thirsty unless I have been up and moving. So I never think about it.

I recently picked up a timed water bottle that outlines and guides how much water I should be drinking at each point in the day and it has helped me so much!

If I find myself feeling puffy and bloated (which is more often than not) I make sure the first thing I do is grab some water. And most of the time it does the trick!

It is so important to start tracking your water intake and making an effort to incorporate more water into your day-to-day routine.

Incorporate a well balanced diet

If you are striving for a body glow up this season, taking a look at your diet is the first place you should start.

Don’t worry, I’m not telling you that you have to give up your Chick-fil-A and your morning Starbucks. But, increasing your fruit and veggie intake and overall eating more well-rounded meals will help tremendously.

Did you know that having a well-balanced diet subconsciously gives you more self-confidence everyday? I always notice a difference in the way that I feel about myself when I am eating healthy vs when I am not.

Exercise 3-5 times per week

If you really want to glow up this year, exercising three to five times a week is a must. It’s time to hit the gym and start getting those reps in girlfriend!

Let me tell you, I am someone who doesn’t really like going to the gym all that much. I’ll go when I notice that I have gained a couple of pounds, but it’s just not my place to be.

I used to feel terrible about not loving it. All of these fitness gurus seemed to thrive off of it! If you aren’t a gym lover either, I am here to tell you that it is more than okay!

One thing that helped me overcome my dread of going to gym was diversifying my workout sessions. Instead of doing the same thing day in and day out, try switching up your workouts every single session.

Buy clothes that flatter you

Feeling confident in what you are wearing is something that you might not have realized is important to the way that you feel about yourself.

There have been so many times where I walked out the door knowing that I am not 100% confident in what I’m in. Then I find that it is the only thing that I am thinking about throughout the day, and I start feeling self conscious about the way that I look.

I am not someone who typically likes to try on clothes when I buy them just at the store and I do about 90% of my clothing shopping online. When I do get my clothes, I do extensive try on hauls to make sure what I’m buying is something that I truly love on myself.

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “Dress for Success” and that saying is 100% true. In order to feel successful and feel confident, you have to dress confidently. You have to believe that you look the part in order to feel the part. It’s kind of a subconscious thing.

Skin Glow Up

Wash, exfoliate, moisturize, REPEAT

Having a good skin care routine is the foundation for having healthy and clear skin. After years of despising the way that my skin looked, I finally sat down and looked at what I was doing daily. I quickly realized that I didn’t have any sort of system in place for the results that I was looking for. I was missing a good quality skincare routine.

Your skincare routine doesn’t have to be anything extravagant or fancy; you can really do so much with just everyday products from the drugstore. Here are a few of my staple products that I have been using for years and still keep my skin healthy!

Weekly face masks

Incorporating weekly face masks into my routine have truly been a game-changer to the overall appearance of my skin.

I haven’t always been the best at taking the time to use face masks on a regular basis. But over the past few months, I have kind of drilled it in my routine.

It is important to remember that face masks are a great addition to a solid skincare routine. However, I wouldn’t replace a good skin care routine with face masks. But all in all, face masks do have the ability to take your skin up a notch. You can really see the difference after done consistently with a good skin care routine. Here are a few face masks that I have been loving recently.

(Great dupe for the Glam Glow Face mask!)

(Super moisturizing and perfect for dry skin!)

(Every single one of the face masks in this variety are seriously amazing!)

Remove unwanted facial hairs

Okay if you don’t shave your face you need to try it! Girl let me tell you, shaving my face has literally been such a game-changer!

My makeup goes on smoother, my skin looks brighter, and my face is so much softer. Not only does shaving your face remove unwanted hairs, but it also removes dead skin cells (hence the brighter and softer skin).

These are my all time favorite razors!! They get the job done quick, easy, and pain free!

Teeth whitening kits

Teeth whitening isn’t technically skincare related, but I felt like it went well in this section so we’re just going to roll with it!

After I got my braces off a couple of years ago, I have always wanted to get my teeth professionally whitened. But it’s just so dang expensive!

So in the meantime I have been using teeth whitening kits and they have been fantabulous!

They are quick and easy and they get the job done. Even though they’re not permanent, I still love the results that I get after I use them!

You can get fancy with teeth whitening kits and get the really expensive ones or you can find some that are pretty cheap! There are seriously so many options.

I have been using this teeth whitening kit from Walmart and it’s under $10 and works great!!

Mindset Glow Up

Prioritize morning quiet time

My morning quiet time is my favorite part of the day. It Is truly the only time that I have during the day that I have completely to myself.

Within the hustle and bustle of everyday, it can be so easy to forget the essential a long time that we need to refresh our minds and just get re-centered in what is important to us.

During my morning quiet time I typically like to spend some time in my daily devotion, reading, and in meditation. I try to keep my phone out of my morning quiet time because I’m a firm believer that what you do at the beginning of your day really sets the tone for the rest of your day.

If you think about it, when you get up in the morning and start scrolling on social media you’re letting the things that you consume set the tone for your day. The way I look at it, I was blessed to be able to wake up this morning, so I’m going to spend that time appreciating the fact that I’m here by getting reground in myself.

By taking control of my mornings, I have truly seen a difference in my productivity during the day, my overall mindset, and just the way that I feel!

Read for 30 minutes everyday

Incorporating reading into your daily routine can really have a dramatic impact on the way you think. I always try to section time off during my day.

The whole point of a glow up is to become better than you were before. Learning something new everyday sounds like a glow up to me!

With reading, you are always learning something new that you didn’t know yesterday or the day before. The little things that you learn overtime, no matter how small, lead up to big changes within yourself, within your mindset, and within your life.

Wake up one hour earlier

I challenge you to wake up one hour earlier than you usually do. Because let me tell you, the early bird really does get the worm. When You wake up earlier you have a head start on the day. A head start that many people don’t get.

I am a morning person at heart, so this change sort of came naturally to me. I am now waking up around 5 or 6am. Before I was getting up at around 7 or 8am everyday.

Things are so much more clear early in the morning. And most people aren’t up so you have that time to yourself to do basically whatever you want!

I like to get the work that I’m dreading done in the morning and I typically will always finish it with no issues at all.

Whenever I wait until the afternoon to do stuff, I am usually tired, cranky, my caffeine is already worn off, and I am just not in the mood to do anything but lay down!

But when I start in the morning things get done quick and easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Keep a gratitude list

I use the 5-minute journal to track and keep note of what I am grateful for every single day. No matter how big or how small, there is always something that you can be grateful for.

As humans we are selfish beings and thinking about those little things doesn’t always come naturally. It can be easy to be to be thankful for and appreciate the big wins that we see. But it’s also just as important to take a step back and look at the little wins that we are blessed with.

Acknowledging these little wins along with the big wins, brings even more wins into your life everyday. It’s like a domino effect.

If you have been feeling down lately, I encourage you to spend a week writing down what you are grateful for every day and watch how your situation will change.

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