✨What I Started Doing at 18 That Changed Everything 💄💫💌
- Quiet Alchemy
- Jul 31
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 8
Let me be brutally honest:
I wasn’t born with ✨discipline✨, glowing skin, or a Pinterest-aesthetic morning routine.
I was just your average girl with a messy bun, lowkey overthinking 24/7, and constantly stuck between wanting to “slay the day” and “sleep it away” 😴💅
But then 18 hit. And something inside me went,
> “Umm babe... you might wanna get your life together just a lil bit.”
Not in a “you have to hustle 24/7” way, but more like — what if I actually started doing the things I always saved to my vision board?
So, I started small. I changed tiny things.
No glow-up montage. No fairy godmother. Just me, deciding I was done being a background character in my own life 🎬💋
And trust me, these little changes? They added up.
Here’s everything I started doing at 18 that honestly made me feel so powerful — inside and out 🫶
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💖 1. I Started Romanticizing My Life (Even the Boring Bits)
No, I didn’t move to Paris or start drinking matcha from gold mugs ☕✨
I just started treating normal moments like they were worth something.
Like when I washed my face at night, I lit a tiny candle.
When I drank chai, I played a soft playlist and sipped it slowly like I was the main character in a Studio Ghibli film 🍵🎶
Even folding clothes became an aesthetic reset with a cute podcast on.
> ✨ The idea? Make boring things beautiful.
Life didn’t have to change. My perspective did.
Suddenly my days felt cinematic — even if all I did was clean my room and water my plants 🪴
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💅 2. I Stopped Waiting for the “Perfect Time”
Tell me why I used to think I needed to have it all figured out to start something?
Like, I’d plan my dream routine… and never follow it.
I’d save Pinterest posts about journaling and never open the notebook.
At 18, I was like:
> “Girl, it’s never gonna feel perfect. Do it messy. Do it anyway.”
I started journaling in half sentences.
Started posting without filters that took hours to tweak.
Started showing up — imperfect, but present.
And guess what? That’s what builds confidence.
Not perfection. Consistency. Even if it’s messy.
Confused how to start journaling, I've got you.
Here’s the link to the detailed blog dedicated to journaling.
🧠 3. I Flipped My Self-Talk Game
You know that voice in your head that says,
> “Ugh, you’re lazy. You’re behind. You’ll never get it together”?
Yeah… I told her to sit down.
Instead of bullying myself for not being perfect, I started saying:
> “It’s okay. You’re learning. Let’s try again.”
It felt fake at first. Like, “Who is this soft voice and why is she being so nice to me?” 😅
But over time, I started believing it. And my vibe shifted.
I wasn’t afraid to try new things anymore — because I knew I wouldn’t be mean to myself if I failed. I had my own back 🫶
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💋 4. I Stopped Shrinking to Fit In
Let’s talk ✨people-pleasing✨ because I was the queen of it 👑
I’d say “yes” when I wanted to say “no.”
I’d mute my personality just to avoid judgment.
I’d pretend to be chill when I was literally overthinking for hours 😵💫
At 18, I realized:
> People can misunderstand you and still survive.
You don’t need to shrink yourself to make others feel comfy.
So I started wearing what I liked.
Speaking how I actually felt.
Taking up space. Posting what made me happy.
And it was ✨freeing✨.
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🛁 5. I Treated My Body Like It Deserved Love, Not Punishment
I used to work out only when I felt bad about myself.
Like, “Ugh, I ate too much, I need to exercise.”
That energy? 👎
So instead, I flipped the script.
> I moved my body out of joy, not guilt.
I danced to 2000s Bollywood. Did lazy stretches in bed. Walked barefoot on the terrace during golden hour 🌅
I gave my body water, sunshine, food that didn’t come with shame.
I treated her like a friend I loved, not a project I needed to “fix.”
And girl, the glow? It came from the inside 💖
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📵 6. I Started Saying “No” (Without Explaining Everything)
Saying “no” used to make me feel like a villain.
Like I had to give a 5-page essay on why I couldn’t hang out or why I needed space.
At 18, I decided this:
> “No” is a full sentence. And you’re allowed to choose peace over pressure.
So I said no to draining people.
No to plans I didn’t have the energy for.
No to comparing my timeline to anyone else’s ⏳
And the best part?
The right people respected it. The wrong ones? Quietly exited. Win-win ✌️
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🎧 7. I Replaced Background Noise with Beautiful Noise
Instead of playing random chaos in the background (news, loud reels, drama content), I started curating my audio world.
I filled my ears with:
Podcasts that felt like hugs 🤍
Playlists that made brushing my hair feel like a movie scene
Affirmations that didn’t feel cheesy but lowkey healed my soul
Because what you listen to all day? It becomes your inner voice.
So I chose calm. Chose cute. Chose clarity.
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🧃 8. I Romanticized the Reset
Instead of dreading Sunday resets or cleaning, I made them ✨vibes✨.
I’d light incense, clean with music on, sip lemon water in a cute glass, and plan my week on a notepad that had stars doodled on the side 🌙
Reset days became sacred, not stressful.
And somehow, resetting became something I looked forward to, instead of a punishment for “being lazy all week.”
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✨ 9. I Stopped Apologizing for Wanting a Soft Life
I don’t want to be in a hustle spiral 24/7.
I don’t want burnout, overwork, and glamorized exhaustion.
What I do want?
A soft life. A sweet life. A meaningful life — where peace is a priority 🌸
So I stopped judging myself for not being “productive” all the time.
I allowed myself slow mornings, silly hobbies, midday naps.
And I thrived in that softness. Because rest is not weakness.
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🌷 So What Actually Changed?
I didn’t magically become that girl.
But I became this girl — me, but calmer, kinder, softer, stronger.
I became someone who:
Says “yes” to herself first 💋
Chooses her peace over pressure
Romanticizes tea time, healing, boundaries, and baby steps
No external glow-up. Just an inner one that started small.
And if you’re reading this — you can start too.
But incase if you wanna shine bright like a diamond then here is the 10 self-care habits that actually make sense.
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💌 If you take one thing from this…
You don’t need a new year, a new moon, or a new phone to start fresh.
You just need one moment where you say:
> “I deserve more — and I’m ready to give it to myself.”
So go light that candle. Dance to your playlist. Write your feelings down. Take deep breaths. Post the post. Say no. Say yes. Take your power back 💫
The glow-up starts inside. And girl, you’re already glowing ✨
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Share this with your bestie who's on her soft girl journey 🌸
Or save it for a day when you need a little reminder that small shifts can lead to magic 💌
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