15 Things to Help Build Body Positivity
- Think ‘Healthy’
- Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
- Compliment Others
- Accept Compliments
- Focus on the Things You Like About Yourself
- Avoid People Who Put You Down
- Send Body Positive Messages out to the World
- Take Action
- Forget About the Number on the Scales
- Learn That Bodies Change
- Appreciate Your Body & All It Can Do
- Wear Comfortable Clothes & Feel Good in Them
- Work on Your Posture
- Cut Out/Reduce Negative Social Media
- Invest in Yourself – Explore Different Styles
We see a lot in the media and online about celebrities doing a ‘big thing’ to promote body positivity and how they’ve taken the plunge to show themselves off – scars, cellulite and lumps and bumps.
How great, right?
Well, not always.
Most of us don’t live in the same world surrounded by the same positivity. We don’t have the media telling us how amazing it is to show our natural selves off or thousands of encouraging comments of our un-edited Instagram posts.
Getting that sort of feedback and praise would be great. But we have to be confident in ourselves and our bodies to be able to show ourselves off in the first place.
You have to remember that body positivity isn’t about what other people think of you, what they comment or how they feel about your appearance. It’s about what you think of yourself and all of your attributes.
Most of us will go through phases in life where we lack confidence in ourselves and our bodies. This is very common and we all hold our own insecurities that we can’t seem to let go of.
It can become overwhelming and take over our lives without realising it. But there are some simple things that you can start doing now that will help you to gradually let go of your insecurities and embrace them as part of you.
Think ‘Healthy’
Feeling good about your body should start from within. If you consume a lot of unhealthy food, there tends to have a knock-on effect.
If we’re not putting good things into our body, then it can’t provide us with what we need to get through each day – energy, motivation and function.
When we are aware that we’re eating unhealthily, it has an effect on us psychologically. We can overthink those extra calories and obsess about the fact that we didn’t really need to eat them.
When we know we’re putting good things into our bodies, it can help us to think better about ourselves, knowing we’re taking care of ourselves in the best way possible.
We sometimes get caught up thinking about changing our weight too much and we try unhealthy diets and dangerous eating habits. The reality is, they aren’t effective and they’re actually just hurting your body and the way it works.
If you find yourself obsessively dieting or focusing on your weight and looking skinny, it could be a sign of something more serious. If you’re struggling with something like this, my email and DMs are available, as well are some great professional resources.
Remember that being skinny isn’t always healthy.
Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
The worst thing about living with today’s technology is the negative benefits of social media. We are surrounded by people parading the ‘perfect’ parts of their lives and showing themselves off at their best angles.
We live in a sociable world and seeing more people only naturally makes us compare ourselves to others. What we must remember is that what we see is just on the surface and we can’t imagine what is deeper within.
We need to start understanding that just like every mind is different, every body is different too. Every body has a different shape, has different scars, needs different amounts of nutrients, and needs different amounts of care.
So instead of focusing on the skin-deep desires we’re seeing of others, focus on our own.
Compliment Others’
Saying all of that, it’s still nice to notice the beauty in other people, just don’t obsess over it. Some of us find it hard to compliment ourselves and become jealous of others instead of just giving them a compliment.
Complimenting someone else may be the thing they need to hear today. But also, as you give more compliments to others, it can become a habit and you’ll begin to see the good things in all the different bodies there are in the world.
This can help you to look for those in yourself and become more comfortable complimenting yourself.
Accept Compliments
The more compliments we get, the more we are letting positivity wash over us.
Shutting them out is only going to tell our brains that we aren’t deserving of them. Let someone compliment you. Instead of batting it off and making excuses, say ‘thank you’ and return the favour.
As we learn to accept compliments, we are allowing our minds to be open for positivity.
Focus on the Things You Like About Yourself
While we’re dwelling on the things we don’t like about ourselves – which we may not be able to change – there are plenty of amazing things that we are overlooking and ignoring.
How are you supposed to build self confidence and body positivity when you’re not aware of the things you like about yourself?
If you struggle to find things (which you definitely shouldn’t!) then try to see the positive things in parts of you that you’re insecure about.
For example, I’m sometimes conscious of the scars on my legs from where I’ve picked at them as a result of my anxiety. If they weren’t there I wouldn’t be reminded of the fight that I had in me and the coping mechanism that I had to get over that particular time. I turn it into a positive and if anyone questions it, I’m open about it as they are healed wounds now.
What I can do instead of focusing on the scars, is look at the good things about my legs. They’re more toned than they used to be because I’ve been running and exercising more and I like the shape and size of them.
Try making a list of things that you like about yourself when you’re feeling low on confidence and find the good things in your insecurities.
Avoid People Who Put You Down
This seems like an obvious one but is probably one of the most difficult points as it involves other people. But people who probably aren’t deserving of your time!
If you’re surrounded by people who are constantly putting you down or picking on the things you’re insecure about, then it’ll be very difficult to think differently about yourself. Remove the negative people or at least tell them that what they say isn’t helping with your body positivity or how you think of yourself.
Send Body Positive Messages out to the World
Just like mantras and affirmations, positive statements about yourself can help you to boost a bit of self confidence.
Write or print some body positive messages and stick them around your mirror while you get ready or on the doorframe so you see them before you leave the house.
Don’t ignore them, take time to create them, read them and believe them.
If you need some positive messages, download my Mantras & Affirmations Freebie here!
Take Action
If you are struggling with something that you have the ability to change, then think about how you can take the action to change it.
For example, if there’s something you don’t particularly like about your hair, treat yourself to a trip to the hairdressers and change up your look. If you’re insecure about your weight, try some easy exercises to lose weight, tone up or eat healthier.
I wish that everyone could unconditionally love their natural selves, no matter what they look like. However, it’s just not realistic to think that. So the people that have the ability to change what they don’t like, have a great opportunity to build body positivity.
By no means am I encouraging extremity in your actions or doing anything drastic. But in some cases, small changes can be made to help you feel more confident in who you are.
Don’t Focus on Numbers
Numbers can actually prevent body positivity more than you probably think.
A lot of people struggle to come to terms with their weight, waist size, height, foot size, length of nose, length of nails, amount of hair on their body… the list goes on and on.
Body positivity is all about how we feel about our bodies, not what the numbers are telling us. We tend to rely on the numbers to tell us whether we’ve made any progress in ourselves, but that’s not the only way to measure ourselves.
As long as you feel healthy and you are healthy, then you don’t have anything to worry about!
Weight is one of the most common ones. We are taught by many weight loss companies and programs that weigh-ins dictate how much weight you’ve lost. In this case, it’s just not right.
Some people don’t realise that muscle actually weighs more than body fat, so if you’re on a weight loss journey and you’re eating better and exercising, you’re building on your muscle mass at the same time as you’re losing body fat. Weigh-ins won’t tell you that and so give you an unreliable number on the scales.
We can become obsessed with what the numbers are showing us instead of focusing on our health and wellbeing. While we’re watching the numbers, we might miss the actual physical changes happening before us.
Focus your attention on the things that matter.
Accept That Bodies Change
As we know, bodies change with age. We get wrinkles and lumps where we don’t want them, sagging where we can’t help it and grey hairs to top it all off.
Our minds age along with us too but sometimes we can struggle to accept the changes our bodies are going through and the lack of ability we have to change it.
Not only do our bodies change with time, they change through experiences too. Childbirth, self harm, physical trauma, etc.
Our bodies actually tell us a lot about ourselves. They hold the scars of trauma, the physical ability we hold and identity of ourselves. We have to learn to accept them as they are because they hold so much of ourselves within them and hold us together as a person.
Our bodies tell our stories and we shouldn’t be ashamed of our bodies just because of this. They deserve respect, understanding, nurture, care and love.
If we can’t feel positive about our bodies as they go through life’s changes then we’re only going to sabotage our minds. We can’t change them this time so we must learn to accept them for our own sanity.
Appreciate Your Body and What It Does For You
Not only do our bodies deserve respect, they deserve appreciation too.
Without consciously knowing, our body functions without us having to actively tell it what to do.
We breathe around 20,000 times a day but barely spend any time thinking about our breathing. Our bodies pump blood around our bodies so that we have the oxygen we need to function properly. Our bodies digest the food that we’ve eaten to provide us with the necessary energy we need to continue all of these things and more.
We take all of these things for granted. Imagine if we had to consciously think about breathing, pumping blood and digesting food while trying to get on with our daily tasks. It would be impossible.
We have to remember that not only does our bodies provide autonomic systems, but they also do a lot more for us outside of that.
Our bodies provide us with protection, flexibility and ability to do amazing physical things. It’s not like we can fly or live underwater like other Earthly creatures. But we are arguably the most powerful beings on the planet because of the way we can communicate and use our bodies to the best of our ability.
So we must feel positive about our bodies now that we’ve been reminded of all the amazing things it does for us.
Wear Comfortable Clothes and Feel Good in Them
We often feel more self conscious when we’re wearing clothes we don’t feel comfortable in. If you’re constantly pulling your jeans up or making sure your top is tucked in properly, then you’re too aware of the way you look and feel in the clothes you’re wearing.
This is easily solvable by adjusting what you wear. If those jeans don’t stay up anymore, try a new belt or buy new jeans – it may be that your pair are getting old and losing their stretch. If your top isn’t staying tucked in, enjoy how it looks untucked or find a top that stays where you want it to.
Go shopping and try a few styles that you wouldn’t usually try and see how they make you feel. Get out of your comfort zone and see how good you feel.
Work On Your Posture
Your body language tells you a lot about yourself. Slouching, lowering your head or tucking your shoulders into your chest indicates a lack of confidence.
I work on my posture every day as I’m aware I don’t hold myself correctly. I don’t walk down a street confidently with my shoulders back and head held high. But I should, because that’s the way our bodies are designed.
When I notice I’m slouching or holding myself inwardly, I straighten my spine and tuck my shoulders back. Just doing that action makes me feel so much better and weirdly confident. Try it.
Cut Out/Reduce Negative Social Media
Just as I mentioned earlier, social media doesn’t make us feel great about ourselves and we end up comparing ourselves to others. By reducing your social media intake, you are going to consume less of the negativity about your body, your weight and what you can do to change them.
There is too much content online about the suitable way to look, the ideality of a woman’s appearance, the latest trends you must try to fit in etc.
If you’re happy with your body but just don’t feel confident about it, social media is not the place to go for advice just yet.
Explore the real world and get advice from real people.
Invest in Yourself – Explore Different Styles
If your body positivity is failing because you can’t identify what you want to change or what you really want for yourself, then this might help you.
Find the motivation to take the plunge and invest in yourself. Treat yourself to some spa treatments to make your skin, hair, nails, muscles and mind feel good. Go shopping and buy yourself some clothes, accessories, makeup, moisturiser, nail varnish – anything that you can explore and try out to make you feel good.
Take into account all of the points mentioned above, try something new and deviate away from the choices that haven’t made you feel good in the past.
Don’t be afraid to spend a bit of time and money on yourself to find the inner love for yourself and build your body positivity.
