Top tips on starting your journey to body acceptance

 Well hello to you my reader chums! I'm very passionate about body confidence as I believe we all deserve to love our bodies and appreciate what we have. Everybody is beautiful and it doesn't matter your shape or size, you are glorious in every way, and your body is there to keep you healthy and alive.

I've had a long journey with body confidence and learning to accept and appreciate the skin I'm in, and I think a lot of us go through the same thing at whatever age we are in life.

Recently, I've been reading about the term 'body acceptance' rather than 'body confidence' and 'body positivity' and honestly, I love it and think it's a lot more achievable, relatable and better for people's mental health to aspire towards their journey of appreciating the skin they're in. And, it aids towards people of all shapes and sizes, rather than praising the bodies that are only in mainstream media.

Body acceptance quote

What is body acceptance?

Body acceptance is on similar lines of body positivity but instead of enforcing the idea that every single moment of the day, we need to love what we see in the mirror and appreciate what we have, it's about accepting that this goal isn't realistic or attainable. Nobody is going to look in the mirror every day and adore every part of their body, there are going to be times where we pick out our least favourite parts or hate those bits, and that's okay.

Body acceptance means looking in the mirror on the days you don't feel great about your body and acknowledging that fact and think about what is causing these thoughts and feelings and how you can work on it, and begin that journey. It's also about accepting that there will be days where you'll love your body and days where you're not the biggest fan, and that's okay.

Why is it more important than body positivity/confidence?

The body positivity movement began as a way to celebrate bodies who weren't represented heavily in the media such as plus size or those with disabilities and gave them a space to learn to love and appreciate the skin they're in (as they should). However, since the movement became more of a mainstream topic and everybody jumped on board, it then started to have more of a focus on the bodies already represented and celebrating those, rather than everyone - taking away from the initial point of the movement.

The term body positivity is important and a great way to think about our bodies as we should all love them, but by only showing one group of bodies to promote the movement and especially those bodies who are already praised in society has taken away the effect of giving the bodies who are constantly shamed on, the celebration they deserve.

We all deserve to be positive and confident about our bodies but by not being inclusive of everyone, the movement has kind of taken a backpedal and that's where body acceptance comes in. Body acceptance I think is more important than body positivity and confidence as it's a journey. It's not just about loving your body and then you're done, it's a constant mindset on growing and learning with your body and learning to appreciate different parts when you age, and knowing it's okay not to be in love with your body all the time. It takes the pressure away from being this 'body confident and body positive gal' that we're all told we should be 100% of the time and allows you to change your mindset and work within realistic goals.

Tips on how to accept your body 

Whether you're starting your body acceptance journey or need some advice, here are my best tips on accepting your body.

Change the way you talk to your body - There's a lot of things in life we need to unlearn in terms of the unhealthy way we approach many situations as an adult, and the conversation with our body is one of them. Diet culture and social media is something that has been rammed into us for years so we're often feeling guilty about what we eat, if we gain weight or not gyming it every day. And this is why, when it comes to body acceptance, we need to change the narrative. Instead, of saying 'I ate lots of bad food on holiday so I've gained a bit of weight', say 'I really enjoyed my holiday and everything I ate and my body is just a representation of that joy, and I'm okay with how it looks,' By reinforcing positive messaging and accepting how our body changes, you can learn to be on the path of body acceptance. It can be as simple as saying 'I'm okay with the jiggly bit on my leg and I accept that it's part of me.'

Don't pressure yourself into wearing things you're not comfortable in - Clothes is one of the things that can be tricky if you're not comfortable with your body and the skin you're in. But don't put pressure on yourself to fit in smaller sizes or wear things because everybody else is. Put the clothes on that you love to wear or you feel your best self in and use that positive language towards yourself about how you accept what you look like - and that it's okay to wear exactly what you feel like.

Practise daily affirmations - Daily affirmations are something I've spoken about to boost your positive mindset and confidence in your body but they can be used in the same way for accepting your body. Instead of saying every day 'I love my body how it is', change it to 'I accept my body and all that is me' - as then you're not putting pressure on yourself to love your body but practising that self-acceptance which can lead to self-love as well.

Follow more realistic social media accounts - Social media can be a wonderful thing but it's often a very toxic place for comparison and seeing these 'perfect' and unattainable images every single day. Something I've done and that I'd recommend to everyone is following accounts that bring you joy, but also the accounts that have more of a realistic approach to life and their body. I follow many girls that talk about the normal and natural parts of a body such as stretch marks, cellulite and hip dips - and it makes me feel so normal as I scroll through.

Try your best not to compare - Comparison is the killer of all joy and can be one of the hardest cycles to break because as humans, we naturally compare to everyone around us. But instead of looking at someone and thinking how amazing they are, just remind yourself of a few things. One, they're just like you. They have up and down days and what you see on social media is only a small fraction of someone's day. And two, that you should accept them for what they are but also what you are because you're both wonderful beings in every way.

Body acceptance is something we all deserve to feel and whether you're new to your journey or powering through, I'm proud of you. All bodies are good bodies.

I hope you enjoyed this post. What other tips do you have?

Thank you for reading <3

68 comments

  1. LOVE THIS POST! This is wonderful and an important topics. For myself I'm still working on the self talk as at times that does take over, but I'm ever appreciative of the day I decided to buy a size up in clothing and I actually felt much more confident in it, than trying to squish into my old size and it looked worse! Thanks for sharing this post :)

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  2. Such a great blog. As someone with an eating disorder, learning body acceptance is really important. I love that you said to wear clothes you are comfortable in - this is something I have learnt to do and wear clothes that I like regardless of whether they are 'fashionable' or not. Thanks for your blog!

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    1. Thank you so much lovely and for sharing your honest thoughts and story xx

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  3. I'm not happy with my body at the moment but it doesn't mean I hate my body. One big thing I've been working on lately is understanding that I can love my body while still wanting to lose weight since having the baby. Just because I want to get back to my pre pregnancy weight doesn't mean I hate how I like and don't appreciate my body. The two things can coexist.

    Corinne x
    www.skinnedcartree.com

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    1. Exactly this, thank you for being so open about how you're feeling!

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  4. Really loving this post, Della! I had no idea the body positivity movement was taken over by more of a mainstream focus. While I am saddened by that, I cannot say I am surprised.
    I love the focus of body acceptance, though, and learning about it through your writing! It definitely sounds more positively focused and attainable. Your tip on wearing clothes I love makes the most sense to me; I feel at home and confident in clothing I can be myself in.
    Thanks so much for sharing!

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind comment, I'm glad you enjoyed the post!

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  5. This is a powerful message and something that's so important to talk about, thanks for sharing! I recently also heard of "body neutrality", which is basically trying to not pay so much attention to how our bodies look etc., especially on days when body positivity might be hard.

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    1. Thank you lovely! I've not heard much about that term before so thanks for sharing xx

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  6. An amazing post with a powerful message. Body positivity is something everyone should practice. As someone who is in a weight loss journey, I recently learned that making yourself more fit and loving how your body looks right now can go hand in hand.

    Thank you so much for this post ❤️

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  7. What a great post. I feel really empowered reading it. Body acceptance is something I really need to work on. Our bodys can do amazing things, its time we learnt to appreciate them in all their forms.

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  8. Great post! I also believe that body acceptance comes before body confidence and positivity. During my thought transformation when I finally started to like my body, I had to accept my looks first before appreciating them. And I agree that it's very important.

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  9. Wonderful post! Loved to see such a down to Earth talk about such a sensitive topic. This movement, like many others, was exposed to lots of interpretations and manipulations... however, what we should take away and have in our lives is appreciation for what our bodies do for us and care for them to help them be at their fullest potential.

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  10. This is such a powerful message Della, I had never thought about it this way. I have so much work to do mentally to accept me as I am and then I will be able to do so with my body too.

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    1. Thank you so much my love! I believe in you xx

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  11. I love this post, thank you! I think body acceptance is so hard sometimes, and I love this post for giving me a few tips to help me with my journey- I'm getting there!

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    1. Thank you so much lovely, I hope these tips help xx

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  12. It's so important to not feel pressurised to look a certain way because of photos on social media etc, I loved reading this lovely x

    Lucy | www.lucymary.co.uk

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  13. This was very interesting for reading and it is helpful. I like my body and accept every detail on because that make me unique.

    www.exclusivebeautydiary.com

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  14. Really great tips, I'm trying to work on my body acceptance. I'm so glad you mentioned about not forcing yourself to wear clothes you don't feel comfortable in - I'm currently wearing things that make me feel good/ok about myself and it has definitely improved my body acceptance x

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    1. Thank you! I'm so glad to hear you're on your journey of body acceptance - you've so got this xx

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  15. Very interesting post, thanks for the tips!
    Have a wonderful week,
    S

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  16. What a lovely and motivating blog post! Loving my body is something that I've always struggled with, but affirmations have really helped me on my journey. Clothes is something that really has helped me too, comfy clothes make me feel so good! Em x

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  17. readandreviewit23 May 2021 at 10:31

    Thank you for this, it's a really important topic! I think we all are still learning to accept our own bodies (or at least I am) and clothes definitely make me feel at least a little more confident.

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    1. Thank you! I'm glad to hear you're on that journey xx

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  18. These are some amazing tips! The journey to self love is a long one, but when you reach it it's amazing!

    Katie | katieemmabeauty.com

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  19. Beautiful post!! It takes a while, so pressuring yourself to change something about your body is one thing I would definitely avoid. It took me ages to make changes but I couldn't be happier. Definitely agree with your points, like previously said this is a great post :)

    xoxo Olivia | http://www.oliviaandbeauty.com

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  20. I love this! Body acceptance seems much more attainable than body positivity. We can't be positive all of the time. I really need to work on daily affirmations. Thank you for the reminder. xx

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  21. The day of your post was actually my 47th birthday. I have mixed feelings about my body. I remember when it was different and I was "cute," and now I kinda resent where I'm at. But I'm going through a lot, so I can't exactly punish myself. So I have to forgive my body and be okay, wherever I land. Thanks for reminding me.

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    1. Thank you for being so honest, I appreciate that and I'm glad to hear you forgive your body, that's so important xx

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  22. Lovely post, Della! These are all such important tips for a more body confidence mindset! Thanks for sharing x

    Lynn | https://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com

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  23. We love this advice. Body positivity is so important, especially in the summer.

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  24. Such an important topic and all of these tips for body confidence are great!

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  25. I've been working on this so much lately and writing about it too. But it's so important that you mentioned about the body positivity movement. So many people have taken the movement for their own which defeats the point altogether. Body acceptance is a much better phrase :) x

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    1. Exactly this! I'm so glad you're working on it and writing about it too xx

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  26. i feel like social media is a huge culprit to comparing our bodies to other people. i love the concept of body positivity movement vs. body acceptance. just that shift in wording and mindset truly changes the game.

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  27. These are such great tips to being body confident. Such an important topic. Thanks so much for sharing!

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  28. These are great tips, Della! I love the idea of body acceptance first - it's definitely more achievable and realistic than 24/7 body confidence! xx

    mia // https://beautiful-inspiring-creative-life.com/

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  29. What a really important topic to share on your blog. You have shared some great tips that can help a lot of people. Thank you for sharing.

    Lauren Bournemouthgirl.com

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  30. Oh I LOVE this post, Della! I'd never really thought about the difference between body positivity and body acceptance but you're so right. I do think acceptance is a better way forwards, learning to accept our flaws (real and perceived) without necessarily having to celebrate them. Thank you! x

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  31. Thank you for sharing this. Body acceptance is so important. As you said all bodies are good bodies and no one should feel like they need to look a certain way to be acceptable. Your flaws are a part of who you are and you will be happier accepting that than when trying or obsessing on how to change yourself.

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  32. Another amazing post from you. I started following fellow instagrammers who look more like me in recent months and it had such a positive effect on me in a subliminal way. Being able to see fellow girls with lumps and bumps who look gorgeous in outfits but also are real about their days when they feel low felt like a breath of fresh air.
    I am trying to accept that my body is how it is and to not be sooo hard on it. It's a slow process, trying to unpick years of feeling so negatively.
    I'm getting there!

    Rosie

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    1. Thank you so much lovely! I'm really happy to hear you're getting there xx

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  33. Thanks for sharing your tips on journey to body acceptance, I'm still accepting what I have even though I'm not happy with it :)

    Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes

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  34. Oh I love this - I think it's something so many of us struggle with, it's really not as easy as some people make out xx

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  35. Hi Della! I love daily affirmations, they've been really useful for me on my own self-image journey. I also love that you mention social media and following certain people. It can absolutely be harmful to your perception of your image, and something a lot of people don't think about as important. Great post!

    Mary-Ann x
    https://thelazychain.com

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  36. Brilliant post, thanks for sharing.

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  37. love this post, there's some great tips here. i definitely prefer the term body acceptance rather than body confidence as I feel body acceptance is much more attainable.

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