After settling into the new year and starting a new semester at university, I have been questioning why I have instantly felt so burnt out. While striving to self-improve, especially around January is deemed the ‘norm’, the 2026 ‘rebrand’ trend has reinforced unrealistic expectations. Across TikTok this ‘rebrand’ trend promotes the idea that growth requires discarding your former self and constructing a newer, improved identity. Notably, Pinterest reports a 290% rise in searches for ‘rebrand’, indicating there is a growing sense of dissatisfaction with how young women view themselves.
Given that most of my peers have created a Pinterest board for the new year, carefully selecting images that align them with a certain aesthetic, self-improvement has begun to resemble a performance. Goals are shaped less by genuine personal development and more by desire to embody a socially approved image. This is why, the so-called ‘rebrand’ has become less about growth and instead has young people strategically managing how they are perceived. We have started to see ourselves as ongoing projects to refine and manage as social media comparison pushes us to set targets and strive for constant improvement, yet ‘success’ is always shifting and seems to remain out of reach. There is always a new product to buy or a new habit to fulfil; there is always another version of ourselves that we are trying to chase.
As someone who carries neurodivergent traits, therefore already finds fitting in challenging, I feel that the idea having to ‘rebrand’ myself just to be socially acceptable feels especially exhausting. This trend emphasises that there is a correct way to exist, but I do not want to live a life defined by how others perceive me, and I do not want to continue to watch other women feel they must either. Seeking to become our ‘best selves’ through ‘rebranding’ instead actually risks narrowing ourselves into the same template. A template that consists of the same clothes, the same routines, the same habits of discipline. There is very little room for difference and authenticity!
Pinterest Trends reflects the impact of this trend on women, with 90% of individuals searching the hashtag, ‘Rebrand’ identifying as female, compared to only 5% of individuals searching the hashtag being male. Like most girls, I love a good scroll on Pinterest. The idea of curated routines, a new ‘trendy’ wardrobe, and a workout routine that will make me feel more secure in my body just in time for summer, is undeniably comforting. The idea of reinvention is seductive- it promises control and a fresh start in a world that often feels uncertain. When I scroll through Pinterest or watch a TikTok convincing me to buy a new wardrobe or add a new habit to my daily routine, I begin to believe that replicating other people’s routines and lifestyles will fix all my worries and insecurities. It’s almost like the more I consume, the more I feel lacking. The promise of transformation becomes a cycle which reinforces insecurity, rather than resolves it.
‘Rebranding’ appears like the way to go but discipling ourselves to transform into what social media has told us we should be is extremely harmful. There is a thin line between inspiration and expectation meaning that motivation can quickly become comparison. The curated lives on our screens are not just aspirational, but they subtly refine what is considered normal, productive and successful. Being aesthetic no longer feels optional and has started to feel compulsory. Why does belonging have to require performance?
Growing up I had plenty of fun with trends, especially in 2019 when the goal was to be a VSCO girl – if you know you know. Those phases felt playful and temporary. They were aesthetics that we tried on, not identities we felt pressured to permanently embody. I do, however, feel that the 2026 ‘rebrand’ has affected me more deeply than previous trends as it feels less like experimentation and more like expectation. Being productive should not require waking up early every day, going to the gym to reshape my body, and always eating ‘clean’. Self-improvement should not involve shrinking parts of myself to fit into an ideal.
Speaking out against the unrealistic expectations placed on women is not only about addressing others, but about reminding myself that we should not spend our lives worrying about how we are perceived. Working on ourselves should be for us and not to satisfy an audience! The most radical thing we can do as individuals may be to reject the trend entirely.
Choosing not to engage in the culture of constant self-reinvention may lead to slower visible change, but protecting your mental health will result in more meaningful growth. You do not need to achieve a ‘summer body’ nor need to change your entire wardrobe to fit your Pinterest board.
