Maintaining a positive body image in today's world is challenging. It takes a toll on you physically, mentally, and emotionally, and it’s especially difficult for us women because of the stereotyping done by society and the media. People comment on our bodies, saying we should look a certain way. As a result, we end up thinking negatively about ourselves and become too afraid to embrace who we are. Social media platforms have shown us that a “perfect” body makes us beautiful. Because of this, we attempt to achieve that “perfect” body through extreme workouts and fad diets, with some women even going so far as to get cosmetic surgery.
But what if you could love your body just the way it is? It’s not easy. In fact, there will be many bumps on the road, but you can do this! Give it time, and be patient. Trust the process. Slowly but surely, you’ll learn to embrace your body, love yourself, and become that confident woman you were born to be! Keep reading to find out ways that can help you reach that goal.
1: Take a Social Media Break As crazy as it may sound, social media can play a big role in how you view yourself. You might have seen stories and posts of people flaunting the “perfect” body and this might lead you to start comparing yourself to others. Although this should be avoided in general, oftentimes, it's difficult to control our insecurities. We see only the happy moments, which results in us thinking negatively about ourselves and our lives. Let's try not to use any social media for, let's say a week, and see how you feel afterwards. It’s your body, your life and your time, so make the best of what you have, instead of wishing for what others have.
2: Stop Comparing Your Body to Others We get it. It’s easier said than done. We live in a society where we receive rude comments for how we look. We try to achieve that “perfect” body and yet, we still receive rude comments. You can do whatever you want to do with your body because it's YOUR body, but with that information, remember that it’s your body and you shouldn't compare it with anyone else’s. Your body is significant, yet just as similar as everyone else's, so you shouldn’t have to prove to be worthy to yourself or to other people. You are unique. You are beautiful. You are you.
3: Dress Your Body As It Is Now Sometimes we cling to old clothes we don't wear anymore, thinking, ”I’ll fit into it again one day.” Although we can hold onto that belief, this blog isn’t about losing weight to feel beautiful. It's about how we can love ourselves right now. By keeping those old clothes, they serve as a reminder that your body is different from before, which will end up holding you back from accepting your body as it currently is. What we suggest doing is to donate them instead. Not only will it take a weight off your shoulders (and your closet), it can help those who really need it. It’s a win win for everyone! When you do end up donating those clothes, you can then go out and get something nice for you! Just like the IG account Women Empowerment Cornerposted, we are stronger than we look! When we do get that special something to make us feel beautiful and confident, we shouldn’t let mean comments get to us because whatever they think of us isn’t what matters - it's what we think about ourselves that's most important. So put on those new clothes, feel good about yourself, be confident, and wear your crown!
4: List Attributes You Appreciate About Yourself That Exclude Physical Features What are some things your friends and family love about you? Your answer shouldn’t be anything related to your body, because they love you for you and not because of your physical appearance. They love how funny you are, how creative or talented you are. They love how determined and strong you are! They love all the little things. Like how you might jam out to a song in the car like no one's watching, or how you cry during a heartfelt movie moment. It can even be how you give them a hug and tell them you love them. Whatever it is that you can think of, write down at least 10 things. Maybe if you are willing, you can even ask your friends and family what they love about you so that you can understand and see what they see. Hopefully this can help you reconsider what you used to think about yourself and allow you to accept who you are, just the way you are.
5: You Are Perfectly Imperfect and That's Okay You see all those “perfect” bodies and realize that you don’t have that round butt, hard abs, or other desired physical features, but that is okay. You don’t need to hire physical trainers or subscribe to special diets to achieve the “perfect” body when you already have it. Embrace your stomach, embrace those stretch marks, embrace your blemishes, embrace your thighs, and most importantly - embrace you. Yes we may not be perfect, but that’s what makes life interesting! If we all looked the same, acted the same, and sounded the same, that’s not real life and that certainly isn’t a type of world we want to live in. So embrace your body and who you are. Celebrate what you already have instead of what you wish you had, and give your body a little break. You wouldn’t want your loved ones torturing themselves with unrealistic body goals and expectations, so there’s no point in doing that to yourself.
Conclusion In reality, we sometimes end up thinking poorly about ourselves, which reflects on how poorly we respect our bodies. Deep down, you don’t want to think like that so let’s break free from those chains! You can do this by surrounding yourself with people who appreciate you for you - who tell you that you ARE beautiful just the way you are and that you are more than enough. In addition, whenever your friends or family say things that aren’t helpful to their bodies or yours, please address it politely because we are part of the same community. Let’s encourage one another, not put each other down. We are beautiful. We are worthy. We are enough. Never forget that.