Being more body positive helps you feel more free and confident in life. Society shows us a story of what beauty means and it changes like any other trend. From the curves of Marilyn Monroe, the waif-like look of Kate Moss, or the tiny waist, round bottom of Kim Kardashian we find ourselves hoping to fall into the body trend or change our body to fit it. As people, we desire to be loved and accepted by others so this story keeps us buying into systems to reach goals that may not be realistic for us. The good news is we don’t need the world to change to feel more positive. Going within and embracing who we are is a piece of the puzzle but we have a body and our outward appearance matters too. Let’s love them both equally.
Here are 7 Ways to Stay More Body Positive
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Change your environment. We can control our environment. From the news we listen to, the articles we read, and the images we expose ourselves to should empower and inspire us. Of course, we can’t avoid tough situations but we have options to see women of different body sizes living a life that lights us up and pushes us to show up better. If all you see are the same body types without diversity, you will feel like you don’t fit in regardless if you tell yourself that is not the norm.
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Swap the Lens. The lens we see ourselves through may be from the perspective of our inner meanie. This is a part of us and isn’t leaving anytime soon but our own voice is more powerful. We have the ability to set boundaries and not identify these thoughts as real. Keep your meanie in check and talk back to her when she has crossed the line. When you allow her to take you down, you are accepting self-bullying.
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Embrace the Mirror. Your reflection is here to stay. Avoiding mirrors until you lose weight or feel better about yourself is not the path to self-love. Mirror work may feel like work and requires daily intention to change how you view yourself but it works. If your first thought is critical, don’t walk away until you find something you love. Pick different things every time, don’t just say safe things like pretty eyes. While your reflection was always the same, how you see yourself will change.
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Get Judgement in Check. When we feel judged, we need to look inward and ask do we judge? Making assumptions comes in many forms. We can see a thin woman dressed well and assume they have it all together and are happy. We can see a woman who is overweight and assume she doesn’t eat well, isn’t happy, or is lazy. Neither is true. We don’t know people’s stories, moments that shaped them, areas of struggle, or accomplishments in their life. Facing others with love and empathy will allow us to believe we deserve the same.
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Lead With Love. When we are overwhelmed and stuck inside our own heads, the fastest path out is to take it outside ourselves. Remembering we can be the change we wish to see in the world. If you don’t like your work environment, do something random and thoughtful for a coworker. If we don’t feel heard, listen to someone. If we want a compliment, give a compliment and tell someone why you appreciate them. Negative self-talk is selfish and all about us. Lead with love and feel the love return.
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Find your Body Style. Every person’s body has a different shape and there are clothes that are meant to flatter yours. No one looks good in every piece of clothing but every person has a style to rock. Show off those curves in a wrap dress. Put that pear shape in a tube top and flowy skirt. What is your personality for clothes? Classic chic. Boho. Pick your look and focus on what makes you feel amazing not what you don’t feel comfortable in.
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Health With Intention. When we stop trying to eat and move to shrink our bodies, it opens up room to eat for fuel and taste. We support our body to feel the most energy and move so we can connect more to our body. Movement can cause discomfort which makes us stronger, more resilient with emotional discomfort, and more confident in our skin. We should not avoid health, just change our relationship with it. Weight loss is not about health when it is restrictive and about changing who we are instead of making us a better version of ourselves.
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