Body positivity has the ability to change your relationship with yourself and your life. Interested? Here’s the 101 of what you need to know.
First, what is body positivity? Well, as it sounds, it’s a movement that’s all about embracing and loving your body exactly as it is. Although the body positivity movement rejects the idea that traditionally beautiful bodies by society’s rigid standards are better than any others, it doesn’t privilege any one particular body type. In fact, it argues that what your body looks like doesn’t make one bit of a difference to how much you should love it. Skinny or fat, stretch marks or scars, body positivity tells you you are beautiful as is.
It’s a lovely, powerful message, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to become body positive. Our world is constantly sending us messages that some bodies are better than others; that our bodies aren’t good enough as they are, and that we should be ashamed and buy things in order to meet a standard that is highly unrealistic and unattainable anyway.
So if you struggle to internalize or practice body positivity right away, that’s okay. Take your time. Take if slow. Fake it until you make it. Try talking to yourself the way you’d talk to a friend. “You’re beautiful. You’re good enough as you are. I love you.” Over time, you’ll start to really believe it.
