The summer glow up actually starts in November (hear me out)

Hey, gorgeous!

Okay, so it's the middle of summer and I have been thinking about the "summer glow up" nonstop, which is kind of funny because the summer glow up doesn't really happen in summer. Bear with me here.

The glow you see on yourself in July? That started back in November. Maybe October, if you're an overachiever. Summer you is basically a report card for how you treated yourself the rest of the year, and I don't know about you, but I want mine to look good.

I used to think a glow up was a two-week panic situation. Freak out in June, live off salads, buy a new swimsuit, call it a day. Spoiler: that never once worked for me. So this year I actually paid attention to what helps and what quietly works against you, and it kind of changed how I think about the whole thing. So let's get into it.

The stuff quietly working against you

Let's start with the villains, because there are a couple.

First up: Thanksgiving. Bless it. It's my favorite meal of the entire year and I will not be taking questions on that. But we all know what it does. It's a food holiday, full stop, and it kicks off about six weeks of eating that summer you has to answer for later. I'm not telling you to skip the mashed potatoes (I would never do you like that). I'm just saying, know what you're walking into.

Then comes Christmas. Christmas isn't really centered on the food the way Thanksgiving is... but the food is still THERE. Cookies at every gathering, the candy bowl at work, your aunt's fudge that you swear you'll only have one piece of. It sneaks up on you. Between those two holidays, it's very easy to roll into January feeling like a slightly different person than you were in October.

That's the working-against-you side. Now for the good news.

The stuff quietly working for you

New Year's is your first real ally. Every January, half the internet swears they're getting fit, and most of us fall off by February (hand up, I've been that girl). But here's the thing: if you keep even a little of that resolution going, January you is doing summer you a massive favor. Boring consistency in January and February is the secret nobody wants to hear, but it's the one that pays off.

And then there's Valentine's Day, which I love as a motivator. Maybe you want to look and feel your best for the person you're already crazy about (hi, Ryan). Maybe you're single and getting yourself ready to meet someone new. Either way, that little February nudge to feel like your best self is worth riding. It counts.

It's about way more than your body

Here's where I want to slow down, because the glow up is about so much more than your body. I promise you it is.

Summer, especially if you live somewhere the warm weather actually shows up, means sun. Lots of it. Long days, warm evenings, real reasons to be outside. And getting outside does something for you that no serum can fake. Go touch some grass. I mean that literally. A walk, a coffee on a patio, an afternoon sitting in the park being completely unproductive. The sunshine and the fresh air will do more for your glow than half the products in my bathroom cabinet, and trust me, that cabinet is full.

The real secret: how you treated yourself all year

Okay, real talk. The summer glow up is a reflection of the care you gave yourself from January through June.

I'm talking about the massage you finally booked. The facial. The mani and pedi. The salon visit where you sat back and let someone else deal with your hair for once. The spa day. The afternoon you spent laughing with friends until your face hurt. The time you spent with the people who love you, in your community, just being fully yourself.

Love yourself, and let other people love you too. That's the whole thing. That's where the glow lives.

And listen, this does not mean you have to do every single thing on that list. I don't, and my budget would absolutely riot if I tried. You do not need the fancy spa package to glow. What you need is to actually stop somewhere in the middle of all the chaos and take care of you.

So here's my one honest question.

Through all the hustle and the deadlines and the holidays and the noise... did you rest?

Because if you did, trust me, it's going to show.

You've got this, honey. Now go glow.