Most women find at least one flaw within their physical appearance each day.
If you were as shocked to read that as I was, raise your hand.
So much of what we’ve grown up watching, reading and viewing has impacted our beauty standards and what we view as ideal.
If you’re like me and struggle with body acceptance or self love, check out my 10 tips to help get you started on your journey to body acceptance.
- Focus on what feels good. Does going for a 30 minute walk everyday give you the boost you need? I challenge you to stay present in the moment and constantly ask yourself what feels good.
- Surround yourself with others on a similar journey. Whether this be in person or on social media. It’s important to connect with others practicing body acceptance.
- Don’t be afraid to hit the unfollow button! If you follow accounts that are super fitness driven and make you feel inadequate, go to your app and unfollow them. Comparison is the thief of joy.
- If you wouldn’t say it to a loved one, don’t say it to yourself. We are supposed to be our biggest ally and advocate. If the only voice inside your head is a negative one, this will affect all aspects of your life: your job, your confidence, your relationships. For every negative thought you have, give yourself 2 genuine compliments unrelated to your appearance.
- Write down affirmations and read them at least once a day. This might seem cheesy and corny but I promise it’s not! Write out thoughtful affirmations unrelated to your physical appearance. “I am a kind and passionate person” “I do my best to honor myself daily.” They’re just a moment to reflect that you really are showing up for yourself.
- Treat your body to a relaxing activity. Take a walk to a gorgeous look out. Go sit at the beach or in your favorite coffee shop. Treat yourself to a hot bath, facemask, and a good movie. Your body shows up for you every day and deserves some love!
- Get rid of the, “I’ll be happier when..” mentality. If your brain says, “ugh… I’d be happier if I weighed ____/wore a size/.” shut it down quickly and reflect on why you think that. Is it the ads you saw growing up? Is it something someone said? Remind yourself that you won’t automatically be happy at a certain size or weight. You have the power to focus on your happiness daily!
- Take stock of the beauty in your life. What are you grateful for? Is it your passions? Partner? Friends? Job?
- Wear clothes that make you feel good. If you have clothes that don’t fit anymore, donate them! Go through your clothes and sort out which things serve you. It might seem painful in the moment, but you will save countless moments in the future. You deserve to wear things that you love.
- Let go of comparison. What’s the value in comparing yourself to someone you don’t know or even who you were 10 years ago. Honour the season of life you’re in now!
Try these out and see how they fit for you! If you have any questions or want to reach out, get in touch with me on instagram, @justgetfit
The road to body positivity is long and has also been commercialized by big businesses. Instead I offer you tips on body acceptance. If you’d like to read more on body positivity vs. body acceptance, here is a fantastic article written by Jodie Oaks at Sozy.