Healing Girl Summer
With April behind us, summer 2023 is right around the corner. After exams come to a close, a sense of relief finally flows through the air just as the warm weather hits. Summer looks different for everyone — whether or not it looks like working, traveling or taking time off. Many people have expressed that they are excited for a “hot girl summer,” yet this term may not resonate with everyone. Hot girl summer is generally described as feeling confident in yourself and following through with decisions that will make you happy, whenever you want and wherever you want. Yet, what do you do when you’re not ready for the hot girl summer wave? The term “healing girl summer” was created on TikTok to represent emotions of recuperating and building toward your best, unapologetic self. Don’t be alarmed; a healing girl summer doesn’t mean you can’t feel young and free. Think of it as a hot girl summer with a wholesome twist — a summer when you learn to love yourself, especially after feeling hurt from a stressful semester.
The end of a semester is a stressful time period. From school, breakups and unexpected setbacks, it is common to feel unenthusiastic for a “perfect” summer. It is also common for people to talk about their summer plans. This can include where they are traveling to, music festivals they are attending or exciting internships that are awaiting their arrival. At times, this causes pressure to live your best life during summer, especially when you see everyone posting the highlights of what they are doing. However, it is essential to remember that a healing girl summer is about putting yourself front and center. That’s why we at The Edge have created a guide to embrace your healing girl summer.
Every day isn’t easy.
After a stressful time period, it’s normal to fall into a funk. This may look different for everyone, but sometimes it may include a lack of self-care or loss of motivation. On social media, it is common to show your best days during a healing girl summer. When embarking on this journey, it’s important to note that every day will not be easy. You can feel like you are on an energy high and then hit a low the next day. Emotions are dynamic and can change in minutes. However, don’t let yourself drown in your emotions on the hard days. Engage in healthy outlets that benefit your mental health and help work toward finding inner peace.
Dedicate time to valued activities.
Feelings of comfort and love are felt when surrounding yourself with friends and family during difficult times. Yet, a healing girl summer can assist in finding comfort and love within yourself. Try to take time to be by yourself, but dedicate this time to activities that will help you reset. These activities can be curated to match what restores your energy and makes you feel positive emotions. This can look like anything from watching your comfort TV show to ordering your favorite meal from a restaurant or painting your nails. These smaller acts can contribute to a better overall well-being that will benefit you in the long run.
Practice patience.
When we feel emotionally wounded, it’s normal to desperately want to feel anything except that pain. At times, we might turn to unhealthy habits to distract ourselves from what caused us pain. However, through practicing patience, all wounds heal with time. Avoid attaching a time clock to your healing journey because everyone processes and works through their emotions differently. Instead, acknowledge and be proud of each small step you take during your healing girl summer.
So, if you are ready to take on a healing girl summer, make it your best one yet. You have the ability to take summer to do what makes you happiest; whether or not that is taking time to reflect, re-energize and heal is up to you.