Summer is the highlight of many people’s year, but for others with body image issues it can be quite a stressful time. If you’re one of those dreading the thought of having to show some skin, don’t stress, we are here for you!

Your feelings are valid 

We live in a world where there is so much emphasis on our bodies and physical appearances, so don’t beat yourself up for letting it affect you. Many people like to talk about the importance of self-love and not relying on external validation, which we somewhat agree with. Yes, self-love is super important, but relying on it 24/7 is unsustainable, so needing a bit of external validation is normal. But also understand that you are still worthy of everything even if you don’t fit the Western beauty standard or have anyone hyping you up. 

Surround yourself with good people

This might be a tricky one if you realize that everyone around you is contributing to your bad body image. But, this can be resolved with good, healthy communication. You can start by telling them the things they say, or do that hurt you, even if it’s indirect. It could be your slim friend joking about how fat she is when she really isn’t, or maybe a friend that is constantly talking about the diet they’re on, and tracking calories. If you find that they’re not listening, and are continuing to make you feel bad, you might need to find some new friends…It sounds daunting but one step at a time.

One step at a time 

You must understand that self-love and body confidence is a journey that’s not going to happen overnight, and it’s not a linear process either. You might go through stages of being very confident and other stages when you’re not so confident, and that’s totally fine! But being confident the majority of the time is possible so don’t lose hope! Everyone’s self-love journey is different, but you can maybe start by getting a little out of your comfort zone with the clothing you wear. You don’t have to force yourself to wear something you genuinely don’t like or feel uncomfortable in, just for the sake of challenging yourself because it might end up making you feel worse. Instead, you could wear something you love, or something you have always wanted to wear, but were too scared to in public because you thought you didn’t have the right ‘shape’. 

Smile 

As much as we are for acknowledging one’s feelings and not pretending they don’t exist, faking it until you make it kind of works, especially when it comes to smiling. Did you know that if you smile, it tricks your brain into thinking you’re happy? This is not a long term solution, but if you’re in a social situation that you can’t get out of, it could be a temporary fix.

Body positivity/ body neutrality 

You have probably heard of these two terms before, but here is a quick summary. Body positivity is about loving everything about your body; body neutrality is about accepting your body and not emphasizing it. Many characteristics of each intertwine, but do your own research to see what suits you more on your self-love and body-confidence journey!

Word by Fran Rattle
Photography: Pexels