OK, friends. School's starting and so, naturally, summer is winding down. The time leading up to a new school year is a prime time to make lifestyle changes that will benefit the brain cells that held out through the summer. So I know what you're thinking…it's a time to start dieting, counting calories, working out, going to bed earlier, waking up earlier, and making and sticking to a schedule. It's also time of extreme frustration when two days after you begin a workout plan, time gets the better of you, and you don't even make it a week.

I get it. I really do. As someone who is a planner at heart, someone who has never been naturally athletically-inclined, someone who has trouble eating healthy, I've struggled with this "beginning fever." Recently I read an article posted on Forbes titled "Self-Care Is Not An Indulgence. It's A Discipline" by Tami Forman. Though this article takes more of an economic approach, it reminded me of something very important that I think is overlooked in this society: The way the media affects how we "take care" of our body.

The media makes self-care difficult because it controls the way we envision and interpret the term. We see the happy, smiling girls and guys in workout clothes at the gym or the pictures of their perfectly portioned meals on Instagram. We compare ourselves and our lifestyle habits to theirs and think, "Wow. I am so out of shape" or "I eat like crap." We convince ourselves that their journey, their workout plan, their recipes, and routines are the ultimate form of "self-care" — the instruction manual for a healthy life.

Well, I've got news for you, news you've probably heard before. Every person is different — physically, mentally, and emotionally. The issue with these fitness gurus posting about their journey is that many of them fail to acknowledge that it may not be for everyone. Their encouraging words may seem impossible to some, lowering other's self-esteem as well as their motivation to take care of themselves.

Just like any other social media account, the fitness accounts are very one-sided. They only show the "good" side of the self-care ritual they've taken on. Or, in some cases when the "bad" side is shown, it is only after an immense amount of progress has been made. It is only to solidify the success they've had.

It has truly become our culture to "work-out" as the ultimate form of self-care. Leggings, t-shirts, and tennis shoes are fashionable because they give the impression of being fit or attempting to take care of oneself. There's a certain pressure to go to the gym to prove to others you have your life together. But most importantly and most destructive, is the idea that "working out" makes you a happier, healthier person.

I can't deny the scientific facts that building muscle and eating well have positive effects such as decreasing anxiety and depression. What I can deny is all it takes to be happier and healthier is a simple work-out.

Self-care isn't just going to the gym or counting your calories. There's not a standardized method for taking care of yourself. So stop comparing yourself to the fit, smiling faces you see on the internet. Stop beating yourself up because you can't complete the work-out plan you found on Pinterest. Find what makes you happy and spend more time doing that. Create a work-out plan that works for you, not one that worked for someone else.

The media tries to convince us that self-care is easy and enjoyable, and when it's not, we're doing it wrong. The truth is your journey to a happier, healthier you cannot and should not be determined by a stranger on the internet. Your journey to a happier, healthier you is personal.