Our social-media-obsessed world is filled with edited images implying what human beauty should look like. Understandably, this can make us feel pressured to develop unrealistic expectations for ourselves. Fortunately, there’s a movement called body positivity, which promotes respect for our bodies just as they are.
What is Body Positivity?
Body positivity, or body neutrality, encourages an appreciation for our self-worth and the wonderful things our bodies are capable of, rather than brooding over outward appearances. The campaign is important because it:
- Challenges our culture to eliminate standards of what beauty should look like.
- Promotes mental health and self-confidence, regardless of a person’s size, shape, race, sexuality, or disability.
- Encourages using food and exercise as tools to achieve health, putting less importance on using them to change what the body looks like.
- Helps people learn to accept themselves just as they are right now.
How to Get Started
If you struggle with body positivity, you’re not alone. Most people are insecure about their appearance in one way or another. The idea is to shift your thoughts away from perceived flaws and acknowledge your unique qualities instead.
One way to get started is to create body neutral or body positive affirmations and say them to yourself regularly. By repeating affirmations that are realistic and honest, you’ll challenge negative beliefs and potentially improve your well-being.
Examples of BODY-POSITIVE affirmations:
I will focus more
on taking care of
my body and less
on how it looks.
I am valuable
because of who I am,
not because of what
I look like.
I can eat
nourishing foods
and I can exercise to
help keep my mind
and body healthy.
My body is
miraculous simply
because it can
do things I enjoy
every day.
I accept and
respect my
body the way it
is right now.
You can also practice self-care by avoiding activities that smother your positivity. Consider taking a break from social media sites or influencers that cause you to have negative thoughts about yourself, and choose platforms that support your body positive affirmations.
Finally, you can promote the movement by encouraging others to join you in your positivity journey. If you hear loved ones making negative comments about their appearance, remind them how incredible their bodies truly are.
Honor Your Body with Nutritious Food
Considering what you eat is another way to practice body positivity. Providing yourself with adequate nutrition can be beneficial to the inside and outside of your body.
For example, some nutrient-dense foods can be good for your skin. When it comes to your skin health, specifically, several nutrients are considered powerhouses-including vitamins C and E, and niacin. Per 50-gram serving, avocados provide 4% of the Daily Value for vitamin C and 6% of the Daily Value for vitamin E and niacin.
Embracing body positivity can help us reduce the time we spend concerned over outer insecurities, and increase the time we spend appreciating who we are inside.
