6 Must-Follow Steps for Your Glow Up Journey That No One Is Talking About

Introduction

You made it here, which means that something is feeling a little off right now in your life. I get it – life comes at us fast. Before we know it, we’ve neglected the things that once gave us that real dopamine high, adopted some less-than-deal habits & end up feeling a bit, well, urgh.

But let’s start as we mean to go on here. Embarking on a glow-up journey isn’t just about enhancing your appearance — it’s a holistic quest to unleash the best version of yourself, radiating confidence from the inside out. This transformative process goes further than skin deep; so whilst we’ll cover off levelling up your skincare, we’ll also be focusing on nurturing your mental health, cultivating a positive mindset, and embracing personal growth at every turn. So, join me as we delve into the lesser-known, yet powerful, ways to glow up (& most importantly, how to keep it!). Ready to learn how to glow up?

The Six Essential Steps to Get Your Glow

Disclaimer: they’re not really steps at all. They’re the core pillars that I suggest you focus on daily. Yes, daily. Nothing happens unless you take consistent action & make these new habits part of your daily rituals (see what we did there). You could in theory do these in any order, but I’ve found best results happen by starting with the inner glow up each day, & then focusing externally. Each area is crafted to help you become your best self and make positive changes in various areas of your life. By focusing within, mindfully moving, creating new habits, revamping your skincare routine, deepening your connections with others and disconnecting from distractions, you’ll be well on your way to achieving a new glow that reflects your inner and outer beauty. Are there any side effects of putting these six pillars into action, I hear you ask? Yes. You’ll experience better quality sleep, revitalised hair health, a deep confidence in your overall appearance. Overall, you’ll just feel as though you’re in a good place, both mentally & physically. Sound good? Let’s get started.

Start By Looking Inwards: The Mind

To begin your glow-up journey, it’s important to start by looking inwards and nurturing your mind. It’s likely that you’re here because you feel like theres something about your appearance that you need to fix right now. I’m here to remind you, that’s really not true.

Sure, we can always become better versions of ourselves. But if you focus only on the external & neglect nurturing your mind, it’s a sure fire way to feel sh*tty about yourself. Think about this: if you enter a room and radiate confident, open & positive energy (even if thats the exact opposite of what you’re feeling inside), you’ll attract that same energy back to you. And get this – people’s perception of you will be greater than had you walked into that same room, eyes down with timid body language. It’s a little woo woo, but energy really attracts energy.

So, try to start each day with at least 10 minutes focused on nurturing your mind, improving your confidence & your self-worth. Here are some ways that I’ve found have worked best for me:

• Practice positive affirmations. The key here is not simply saying something you don’t believe to be true, but finding the things you think could be true. That way, your brain is more likely to believe it. E.g. I could be the first to become a millionaire in my family vs I am a millionaire. Top tip: try practise them as soon as you open your eyes as this is when your brain is most receptive.
• Spend 1 hour every week dedicated to learning something new. Find something that would help either further your career or business. Sometimes investing in a course is a good way to keep yourself accountable. You’ll notice that when you spend time growing your mind, it’s attractive to others, but most importantly, you’ll feel good for committing to your future self.
• Write about a day or morning living your dream life. What happens? What do you look like? What interactions do you have? Focus on getting into the details.
• Spend 10 minutes practising mindful breathing. Breathwork works magic on our stress & anxiety levels. Deep breathing resets your nervous system & gives you the best chance to have a great day. My favourite app is Othership for deep breathing exercises and they have a free youtube session here.

Make Daily Movement A Ritual That Serves You

Now I don’t need to go into the benefits of regular exercise, you already know that. But maybe you and working out haven’t quite clicked recently, or you’re just not sure what training split is going to be best for the transformation you’re looking for. Movement, especially first thing, is so important. If you start your day making good choices, theres a good chance you’ll continue them as life gets thrown at you throughout the day. Plus, you’ll be able to ride that dopamine high until at least mid-morning, at which point your morning coffee comes in for back up to boost you into the afternoon. Staying consistent, as with everything, is where the magic happens here. Honestly, I’ve found the best way to do that is by finding the type of workouts that I enjoy, blasting some Beyonce (or Taylor if thats more your vibe) & switching things up depending on what my energy levels are that day.

If you’re not sure where to start, try breaking up your week of workouts this way:

• Monday: Try a new class before work. You’re likely to have a good amount of energy on a Monday so consider an up-beat class like spin or boxing.
• Tuesday: 30-60 minutes of pilates. If you’d prefer to workout at home, I love The Pilates Class classes. Side note: most commercial gyms don’t teach “proper” pilates, so if you’re looking for a legit pilates experience, find a dedicated studio.
• Wednesday: Strength training. If you’re not sure where to start, download apps like EvolveYou or OWNU. The trick here is not to go crazy – you don’t need to lift your bodyweight, but make sure whatever you’re doing is challenging enough & getting your heart rate up. Building muscle is key to changing your physical appearance, plus the more of it you have, the more calories your body naturally burns too.
• Thursday: a dreamy long morning walk followed by a full body stretch (spoiler alert: you’ll need it).
• Friday: a slow morning run. I’ve honestly never got into running, so for me, a 5k always feels like plenty. But, if you really don’t vibe with running, head to the gym & get your heart rate up on a bike for 40 minutes whilst watching a bit of youtube.
• Saturday: Find your flow and try a hot yoga class for the biggest glow you’ve ever experienced post workout. Plus, you’re guaranteed a good night’s sleep that evening too, trust me.
• Sunday: 20-45 minutes of pilates. whether you head to a local reformer class or try it at home, pilates is incredible for good posture (aka, radiating confidence without even thinking about it) & creating lean muscle.

Create New Habits For Long-Term Success

A good place to start here is first thinking about some habits you’d like to break up with. Too much screen time? Netflix taking over your evenings? Take a second. Think about the last time you said you were “too busy”, and then think about if on that same day, how much time were you aimlessly scrolling or watching your favourite Youtuber? I’m saying this from experience, as you can probably tell! Whilst not every minute or hour of the day needs to be optimised for growth, it’s good to reflect on where you could reset some less-than-ideal habits that have crept into your routine.

Okay, so hopefully you’ve thought of something. Now for the fun part. Think about what new, positive habit you want to replace it with? Maybe it’s getting to bed by 10pm and getting up half an hour earlier each day. Maybe it’s a weekly Sunday morning declutter of the area of your home that stresses you out whenever you walk past it. Whatever it is, find ways to micro-reward yourself for committing to your habit to keep you motivated. Say you’ve got to bed by 10pm for 7 days in a row – maybe every day you commit, an imaginary £2 gets added to your “habit reward fund”. By the end of the month, you’ve got £60 to spend on a treat to yourself that you’ve earned. (Ps. my habit fund is currently going towards the Allies of Skin Multipeptides & GF Advanced Lifting Serum – I’m obsessed with the results I’ve seen people get using it!)

If your not sure where to start, here are some other areas to consider:

• Your sofa time: hooked on Ted Lasso? Same girl. Limit yourself to one episode per day & make an effort to walk around the block after one episode so you’re not tempted to skip right onto the next without thinking.
• Your podcasts: With so many available these days, are you making sure what you’re consuming is benefitting you and your goals? I consider the people I listen to in my podcasts effectively part of my circle, and we all know how that saying goes. Consider switching out a podcast to one that’s going to boost your brain & give you some motivation. My current favourites are My First Million, The Dream Bigger Podcast & How I Built This.
• Your apps: Remove apps that drain your time and energy (aka news apps! If something big is happening, you’ll find out one way or another). Download a focus app instead to help you avoid the temptation to open up Instagram, again.
• Your bank account: Lifestyle creep is real and so it’s always great to have a habit built around your spending. Take a look through your last months statements, what did you buy that didn’t bring you any lasting joy? Commit to removing one thing each month.
• Your diet: now I’m no nutritionist, but one thing I know is that when I have nutritious whole foods & whole grains make up at least 80% of my meals, I feel so much more energised & ready to tackle my goals. A healthy diet (whatever that means to you & your body) teamed with tip top hydration levels is going to help your skin, your sleep quality & how you feel at the end of the day. The best thing is that the commitment here doesn’t need to be every day, every meal. Striving for that 80/20 balance will make a huge difference on your glow-up journey.

Deep Dive into Skincare: Beyond the Basics

I’m a firm believer that you know your own skin best. So start by taking a look at your current skincare routine – is there a product in there that you splurged on that you’re desperate to work, but it hasn’t actually made any improvements? Or perhaps you’re testing a viral Korean Skincare product and your skin doesn’t seem to be loving it? Listen to what your skin is telling you & make any changes to your line up. If you’ve made it this far, my guess is that you already have a Gua Sha in your bathroom cabinet. Watch this tutorial & then make sure to use it every day to enhance your face shape (hello snatched cheek bones!). If you already have your facial massage locked down, add in an at-home lymphatic body massage a couple of times a week using a body brush & a body massager.

Some other ideas to level up your skin care:

Focus on Deep Connections & Community

Fostering deep connections is essential for your glow up routine. Surrounding yourself with like-minded women who inspire and uplift you can have a bigger impact than you might expect on your day-to-day life. Start with your current connections – make a commitment to remind them how much you appreciate them. Whether it’s a quick whatsapp or you let them know at your next catch up. I promise you that you’ll make their day, and yours. Have a family member you haven’t spoken to in ages? Give them a call and let them know you were thinking about them.

Next, onto expanding your network and meeting new connections. I’d recommend downloading CLIQ and finding a community on there that resonates with you. Once you’ve found one, head to one of their events, and make sure you go on your own. That way, you’re forced to reach out to others at the event, and you never know who you might meet & well, click with. Whilst this section is not something you’d typically see on most ‘glow up’ guides, for me, it’s foundational to your personal development. Having a sense of community & people around you who support you works wonders for your happiness. & when you’re happy, there’s a good chance you’re going to be glowing!

Take Time To Disconnect

We never make enough time to smell the roses. With so much of our lives being connected digitally, it’s essential to step away from screens and appreciate the small things in life. Without going woo woo (again), making a conscious effort to disconnect takes us back to our ancestral roots. Watching the sunset, spending time in nature, swimming in a lake – it’s moments like these that help you appreciate the small things. They remind you that that spot you’re dealing with right now, it really doesn’t matter. Or maybe it’s a crazy colleague at work that’s been getting to you & you retaliated. Stepping away from the chaos will help you face any challenges you encounter with a more level-head & a positive mindset.

Are You Ready to Glow Up?

Whether you’re looking to make some small tweaks or entirely revamp your routine, I hope that you take one thing away with you from these glow up tips – glowing up is so much more than what you see on the outside. Following my core glow up steps by doing the inner work, nourishing your body & decluttering your mind will keep you glowing longer than any facial. Sadly, it’s often isn’t the narrative we see online (since it’s hard to sell an internal glow up..).

Get the Free Glow Up List & Discover How To Glow Up In a Week

If you’re looking for a simple glow up list that breaks down everything I’ve mentioned above, you’ll love this free 7 Day Glow Up & Detox Planner. Whilst miracles won’t happen in just 7 days, if you want to know how to glow up in a week, give this a try and build the foundations for your best glow yet. You’ve got this.