It was 8:30 a.m. As the first ray of light (from my phone’s screen) fell on my face, Instagram fed me my first dose of self-doubt. In front of me was a fashion influencer with a flawless body in a swimsuit with riveting curves. The sunlight highlighted her jawline and shadowed her slender neck. This made me open my second eye, and my hands reached out to my other pair of eyes kept beside me.
Reality dawned upon me, and I allowed the easiest thought to enter my mind: “Why am I not like this?” Standing in front of the mirror, I stared at my belly pooch. Will I ever look good in bikinis?
Society shapes our opinions on everything, especially on women. Our body belongs to us, is nurtured by us, and has to be sustained by us. But our self-image directly depends on the beauty standards of what is shown on social media, in movies, and in magazines. Why?
We are chasing perfection without knowing the exact definition of it. A perfect body is where the soul is happy. A perfect body encapsulates positive emotions, strength, activeness, and a stress-free mind.
Are we normalizing obesity?
Discussions on promoting body positivity have sparked a contrasting view. Are we normalising obesity and related poor health conditions? Embracing every curve has glorified people who are not keen on addressing their weight-related health issues.
Embracing our bodies should not be confused with embracing unhealthy bodies. This adds to the need to understand ‘body neutrality’.
What is body neutrality?
Body neutrality talks about accepting and embracing the functionality and abilities of our bodies, rather than focusing more on physical appearance. It is a kind of self-love but a more practical one. Body positivity may blindfold you to embrace unhealthy body fat.
With body neutrality, you will be able to identify the areas where you need to work on, to be a healthier person. This novel concept helps us to move towards body empowerment. Body empowerment is realising one’s self-worth and finding body acceptance.
Standing in front of the mirror, you accept the fact that you might not always look perfect, but your body does so much for you, and you embrace it for its abilities.
WAYS to cultivate self love and acceptance
- Embrace health at every size: This approach talks about taking care of your body with compassion without trying to achieve a particular body size. Every body type is unique, and there is no standard body shape or size that you need to achieve as an award for your fitness goals!
- Eat mindfully: Practice mindful eating by knowing when you’re full and when you’re hungry. Savour your favourite dishes without compromising on your taste. Balance your diet by including foods that fulfil the deficiency of nutrients in your body.
- Workout to relax, not to impress: Engage in physical exercises that you like and enjoy doing, rather than pursuing fitness goals that force you to have model-like body shapes. It is a good practice to be optimistic about your fitness goals; however, following a workout regime strictly for weight loss or changing your body shape can’t be sustained in the long term.
- Absorb positivity: Surround yourself with positive resources that help you understand your body’s needs. Filter your social media following and remove celebrities and models that make you question your self-worth. Customise your Instagram feed according to what you want to see. Read more about empowering role models.
- Don’t compare yourself: Social media sets unrealistic expectations. People like you and I get intimidated by the extremely perfect bodies and skins of celebrities, fashion influencers, etc. But their imperfections are masked behind Photoshop, filters, surgeries, and whatnot. Celebrities are paid to look the way they do; it’s their profession to look good. They pay lakhs of rupees per month to their trainers. Whereas people like us are working towards our fitness goals apart from being students, CAs, teachers, engineers, corporate professionals, etc. So, appreciate yourself for being a multitasker!
- Carry out self-care rituals: Indulge yourself in hobbies and self-care. Devote your weekends to do some skincare routines and engage in hobbies like reading, journaling, or just chilling. This will help you detox and rejuvenate your visceral thoughts.
Flaunt that cute belly pooch, let the sunlight highlight your stretch marks. Proudly embrace those thick thighs. There’s a bikini waiting for you to embrace it and increase its charm!
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