Z. Johnson
I’m sure you’ve heard about body image positivity before. Some people promote it as an effort to the “anti-dieting culture”, others do it as way to stop body shaming and stereotypes. The truth is, body image positivity involves way more than that: it is actually a wellness mindset that includes you doing all of the things that make you feel comfortable, not only for your body, but also for your mind and soul. This boom in body image positivity is raising more awareness of self-love.
As a dietitian, I often hear how people going on “diets” or trying to change their lifestyle may fall into food obsessions, just because they hate their body. Recently, more people are getting concerned about falling into eating disorders. As I mentioned before, no extremes are good. In fact, extremes are unhealthy. However, this doesn’t have to be the case either. You gotta be careful about believing that body image positivity doesn’t involve taking care of yourself in what you eat, how you exercise and how you think. As a matter of fact, I will show you how you can exude more confidence and embrace body image positivity by taking care of yourself the proper way.
Body image positivity: Achieving that balance in mindset
Learning to take care of your body starts with how you love yourself. It’s a matter of how you accept where you are right now, while doing your best to achieve a better level of yourself. Trust me, we all have insecurities. There’s always something we want to improve about ourselves. The thing is, we should not let those insecurities take over our self-esteem. Neither should we be complacent and non-ambitious in trying to be better than we were yesterday. That’s the key to having the right mindset towards wellness and body image positivity.
Some powerful wellness tips to start creating more body positivity
Here, I’ll share some of the best hacks to create that positive mindset around body image, wellness, and fitness in general.
1. Surround yourself with positive people
From a personal experience, I can tell you that being surrounded with positive people is the best thing ever! Not only for your mind, but also for your soul. These are people that will always see the good in you. Also, they will appreciate you for who you really are, not for how you look. Stay close to the people that have a positive mindset around health, fitness and wellness in general. These could be your loved ones, fit pals, close friends, you name them.
2. Look for people who push you to do better each day
Just as with positive people, these are friends and loved ones who will want to see you change for the better. They will always try to encourage, not discourage you. Be careful with those people who are constantly stressing on the fact that obsessions and limiting yourself will make you fall into the “ideal standards of beauty”. Besides that, you want to get yourself surrounded by people who will encourage you to be you, and help you get involved into growth activities.
3. Body image positivity: Accept where you are today
It all starts with self- acceptance. Allow yourself to appreciate where you are and what you have today. The moment we exercise more self-acceptance, the better approach we will have towards making those wellness and physical changes we desire. As the statement well says, “success doesn’t come overnight”. Wellness and physical transformations are a process and a journey. But, it all starts by accepting your current reality with positivity, in order to move on to a better level in your fitness life. You don’t have to stay where you are, but it’s the starting point in your journey.
4. Work towards where you want to be
Now that you accept your current situation in a healthy way, it’s time to create that mindset that will allow you to develop healthier lifestyle habits.These changes in habits will help you to achieve your better self. Think about the things that you personally want to get, not based on anybody else’s expectations. Start with baby steps, never forgetting to accept your reality. Hey, cellulite is normal, perfectly flat tummies are not the norm. Even though you can improve, bear in mind that consistency is always better and realistic than perfection.
5. Embrace activities that you like
Sometimes is good to rest your mind for a while from the scale numbers, types of diets, and how many workout sessions you still need to do for the week. Life is way more than just eating right and exercising. In fact, as I said before, there are other non-nutrition workout activities that will boost your wellness. A good example is, sleeping better. How many times we forget about taking that good nap that our body so well deserves? A good night sleep not only helps your body to rest and activate your metabolism, but it also helps you stay in a good mood. Also, it will make you focus better. Other things like meditation, reading, mindfulness, being active in social activities have extra mental health benefits. Don’t take these activities for granted.
6. Eat and train your body like you love it!
Well, this pretty much goes without saying. However, I will emphasize on these as a way to boost your self confidence, keep your body healthy, and to keep a positive mental health. That’s one of the main goals of practicing intuitive eating. You should take care of what you eat because you care of your body, not because social pressure or the media told you subconsciously that you should change it. The same thing goes with exercise. Working out has so many benefits, beyond staying fit, that you should really explore getting at it. Say no to body shaming, rather, stay healthy for self-love!
7. Don’t compare yourself to others
Comparing yourself to other people can be healthy as long as you use this as a source of inspiration. On the other hand, more often than not, comparison to others can have a negative effect in our minds. This happens especially when we see social media pics, IG models, fitness “gurus” and celebrities flaunting their “unbelievably perfect bodies”. This is why most health professionals suggest not spending so much time on social media. Each body is different. Most times, these are cases of people that have had a strict eating and exercise regimen for years. Others, may have gone to surgery. And still others, may have binged on fat burning supplements, to give you a few examples.Therefore, beware! Don’t fall for the trick of comparing yourself to a model or standard of beauty, each body is unique and different. So is yours! Treat it according to your healthy expectations.
8. Be grateful each day with body image positivity
Being thankful is one of the most powerful mindsets behind body image positivity. Appreciate everything every day. The more grateful you are, the more space you open to allow positivity and wellness into your life. Also, you allow opportunity to always improve in a healthy way. This of course, applies not only to body image positivity, but almost anything in life.
9. Celebrate small wins
This is also part of being grateful on your wellness journey. Whenever you achieve something in your fitness lifestyle, not only be thankful, but also celebrate it. If you no longer suffer from insomnia, back pain, or you sleep better after working out during the day, then those are some big deal wins you should celebrate! Never take for granted any positive change you see in your lifestyle.
10. Always move forward with body image positivity
Lifes is about moving forward. I love it when I do something that makes me feel happy. Whether it is a new recipe I created, a new skill I learned, an improvement in my workout routine, or simple being able to meditate (lol, still learning meditation skills), I embrace it with happiness and pride. Moving forward is much more than just a physical change, it involves how you feel with yourself as a person, your mindset, your achievements. The thing is, keep moving and don’t stay stuck in the same spot you started!
Finally,
Body image positivity is about being real and accepting your image the way it is right now. You are the one that can love yourself and treat your body right, according to your own expectations. Having body image positivity is not letting anybody around you shame you, but also allowing yourself to be better and healthier. Setting realistic expectations and working towards them with a healthy mindset will help you not only grow but achieve your wellness, fitness goals better. Now, show some love and let me know your thoughts about body image positivity. Have you struggled with eating disorders or body image issues? Comment below, share with your friends!
Really good list. I’d add having a morning routine bu that’s subjective. We always lose track of the fundamentals and its important we’re constantly reminded
Craige
Hi Craige! I agree with you! Great point on the morning routine. I included that in my life and it really makes a difference! I’m glad you can relate to these aspects. Wish you well!