Well hello to you my reader chums! In a world where only one body type is praised and we're all made to feel bad about our bodies, body confidence can seem harder and harder to achieve. For years, I've worked on my body confidence, and reached a point of body acceptance - and felt proud of the journey I've been on.
However, getting older and turning 26, over the last year or so, I've noticed how much my body has changed and honestly, it has been a hard thing for me to deal with. If you're struggling with the change in your body and looking for some advice, here are my best tips.
Appreciate what your body does for you
I think something we all forget when fixating on what our body looks like is everything it does for us. Our body is our home and we should treat it like that. It protects us, it keeps us healthy and it has so many incredible elements to it to help us function. If you think about your body in this light, it'll help you learn to love it a lot more, because it's one of the reasons you exist.
Accept that your body changing is a part of life
This is something which really has helped me come to terms with my body changing. Growing older means everything changes, including your body. Your body isn't going to remain the same as what it was in your teens or even your early twenties, it evolves over time. And is a reminder we all need to hear, especially when struggling with our body confidence. There are many different things which come with your body changing and trust me when I say this, it's all normal. It's about learning to accept what it is and how you can take care of it.
Understand social media isn't real
In the world of social media, it's always important to be reminded how it is a highlight reel - and this especially comes to light when people show off their bodies. Often bikini pics or body pics are posed in a way to make them look 'perfect' and toned. It doesn't mean they're actually like this and even if they are, it doesn't mean your body should look like that. This is why I always suggest for people do an audit of their social media, and unfollow the people who are making them feel worse about themselves.
Invest in clothes you feel comfortable in
When our body changes, we fixate on how we don't fit in our favourite clothes anymore or they don't look the same. But really, you should take this as an opportunity for a wardrobe and style change. Go shopping and find the clothes you feel comfortable in and that flatter your newfound figure. You'll be surprised to see how quickly you learn to fall in love with yourself when you find figure-suiting items.
Don't focus on clothes sizes
This leads me to this point. Just because you've gone up a clothes size or two, it doesn't make your body any less, in fact, it makes it a normal body. Plus, the clothes sizes these days are all over the place, changing across many high street shops. Instead of focusing on what size you're picking up, focus on how the clothes make you feel.
Practice body self-affirmations
I'm a big fan of self-affirmations. They're a brilliant way to practice speaking positive messages to yourself, boosting your mindset and how you feel about yourself. The best way to do this is to have these affirmations written down and read them out to yourself in the mirror. The more you read them, the more they'll sink in.
Stop comparing yourself to others
Comparison is the thief of all joy - and this is your reminder to stop comparing your body to everyone else. We could all eat exactly the same diet and exercise the same and still look completely different. No body ever works the same - and that is why instead of focusing on how you differ from other people, focus on what you love about your body.
Look after your body
Your body is your home. Your body is your temple. It deserves to be taken care of in every way. Eat intuitively, keep active, stay hydrated and practice self-care. Your body has always got your back.
I hope you enjoyed this post. What other tips would you add?
Thank you for reading <3
Body positivity is something a lot of people need these days. Especially with all the edited photos of models roaming all around social media, we should learn to embrace our body and try to improve it in a loving way. Great post!!
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