Aesthetic Overwhelm: From TikTok Trend To Identity Crisis

I Tried to Be “That Girl”—Then Forgot Who This Girl Was

It started with a TikTok. A little morning routine, a matcha latte, a clean white sheet, and suddenly I was spiraling.

I reorganized my shelf. I downloaded six productivity apps. I deleted half my closet.
All in the name of ✨the aesthetic.✨

And then it happened—I looked at myself and thought: Wait… who even is this?

That, my friends, is what we call aesthetic overwhelm.

When the need to “look like the vibe” replaces your ability to feel like yourself.

📱 What Is Aesthetic Overload?

Aesthetic overload is the emotional burnout that happens when you consume too many curated visuals—and start confusing them with your identity.

It’s when:

You start a “coquette” Pinterest board while shopping for cottagecore mugs
You buy the clean girl starter pack even though you’re a chaotic maximalist
You feel bad for not having an aesthetic
You don’t know if you like something—or if the algorithm told you to like it

In a world where vibes go viral weekly, it’s easy to feel like your identity is a shapeshifting moodboard that never sticks.

And yes, it is exhausting trying to rebrand your soul every 3 weeks.

📦 Where It Shows Up

You might be suffering from aesthetic overload if:

You say “I need a whole new vibe” at least once a month
You’ve thrifted for a trend you didn’t even like that much
You change your phone wallpaper more often than your pillowcases
You don’t know what your “personal style” even means anymore
You get anxious scrolling because everything is cute but nothing feels like you

This goes deeper than digital clutter—it’s emotional whiplash.

🤳🏽 TikTok, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Self-Curation

Let’s get honest: platforms like TikTok don’t just encourage trends—they demand aesthetic performance.

Your home, your outfits, your habits, your freaking journal—all of it is suddenly up for public aesthetic review.

And while curating your vibe can be fun, when everything becomes part of your “brand,” it creates a weird pressure to:

Live in a constant “reveal” state
Look perfect in ways that don’t match your reality
Abandon the parts of you that feel unmarketable

It’s giving ✨internalized brand manager✨. And baby, you’re not a business campaign.

🧠 The Science-y Side: Decision Fatigue & Identity Confusion

Your brain can only handle so many inputs before it glitches.
Psychologists call this decision fatigue—the more options and choices you’re exposed to, the harder it becomes to make any of them with clarity.

Add the identity confusion that comes from trying to shape-shift for likes, and you get:

Anxiety
Emotional burnout
Insecurity masked as “inspiration”

Aesthetic overload isn’t just a trend—it’s a nervous system response.

💡 Reclaiming Your Visual Identity (Without the Existential Crisis)

Let’s get your vibe back—without the meltdown.

Here’s how I’m soft-resetting my relationship to aesthetics:

1. ✂️ Unfollow for Clarity

Yes, even the cute accounts. Even the ones you “might want inspo from later.”

The more noise you remove, the more you hear your own visual voice.

2. 💭 Ask “Do I Like This or Do I Like Their Life?”

Sometimes we’re not chasing the aesthetic—we’re chasing the feeling of ease, money, thinness, or friendship we think it represents.

Separate the look from the lifestyle and watch your clarity rise.

3. 🎨 Build a Moodboard Based on Emotion, Not Trend

Don’t type in “soft girl aesthetic.” Type in how you want to feel.

Try words like:

grounded
magical
powerful
dreamy
safe

Let the visuals follow the vibe—not the other way around.

4. 🧼 Use Your Own Photos

Take screenshots of your favorite moments. The messy ones. The happy ones. The ones that feel most like home.

Make them your moodboard foundation. Add aesthetic touches on top only if they enhance the real you.

5. 🌈 Embrace Your Visual Contradictions

You can be “bimbo-coded” and “clean girl.”
You can love black leather and soft pinks.
You can live in a maximalist mess and still have the soul of a matcha mom.

You’re not inconsistent—you’re complex.

You’re the whole Pinterest board. Not just one pin.

🛠️ Optional Reset Exercise: Build Your “I’m Actually Like This” Board

Step 1: Create a new moodboard folder.
Step 2: Add only images, quotes, textures, and colors that feel like you, not your feed.
Step 3: Title it “I’m Actually Like This.”

Keep it private. Let it evolve. Let it be ugly. Let it be you.