5 Ways to Practise Body Positivity
It's far too easy to dislike yourself. There are a million pressures, from social media or otherwise, telling you that you should look a certain way. Don't believe them. You look the way you do and you are beautiful and strong for exactly that reason. However, we do know it's not always so easy to believe that so we've compiled a list of our favourite tips to help.
Be Kind To Yourself. Chances are that you spend most of your life being kind to others; telling other people how proud you are of them, treating them, or just making them a cup of tea when they look like they need it. What most people forget is that, YOU are just as important. Self-care isn’t some sort of hippy fad, it is a way to understand your value. Take time out of your day to treat yourself with the tenderness you deserve. Run a bath, make a meal that you love just for yourself, read a book. Do whatever you love.
ACCEPT compliments! We want you to start practising something. The next time someone gives you a compliment, just say thank you! It seems to be hard-wired into people’s psyche that you should not accept a compliment. This is something our boudoir clients can struggle with when we're showering them with praise during the shoot but we say it because we mean it! You do look fierce and incredible and sexy and all of these things. If someone tells you that you look lovely today or that your hair looks nice, the compulsion is to dismiss it but why not try something new? Instead, say ‘thank you’. It may seem odd at first but by the end, hopefully, when someone tells you look beautiful you’ll believe it.
Be proud of your body and what it does for you. No one will ever judge your appearance half as much as you judge yourself. It’s important to know that your worth is not in your weight. It is in who you are and the people you love and love you in return. Don’t think of your body as a measure of what society calls ‘beautiful’, instead see it for what it is - an amazing functioning machine that does incredible things. Maybe it gave birth to your children? Isn’t that amazing?! Maybe your legs carried you through a run?! Look at it go! Maybe it made you look like an absolute heavenly diva in your boudoir shoot? Go you! Redefine how you see beauty and worth. Be proud of who you are and positive body image will follow.
Listen to your body. This one is inspired by the lovely and totally inspirational Lisa Beasley, certified facilitator of the award winning ‘Am I Hungry?’ Programme. She came and did a talk for us at a Divine Divas Party and her tips really struck home with us and our clients. It can be incredibly easy to build a toxic relationship with food where eating suddenly occupies your every thought. Don’t shame yourself for eating food - you have to. And even when you eat chocolate or a burger, so what? The aim is healthiness, not perfection. Listen to cravings and learn to identify hunger. Often you’ll find that when you don’t try to restrict yourself, food will lose its power.
For more details, you can go to the My Body Positive website or Instagram, LisaMyBodyPositive
Celebrate Yourself! Let yourself enjoy how beautiful you are. Talk about your favourite parts of your body. What you're good at. What your body can do for you. We often find that the biggest thing clients take away from their boudoir photo shoot is a transformed perception of themselves. The time taken to celebrate your beauty gifts them a new view of their body, in fact a common quote is that they don't even recognise themselves when, of course, they’ve been that gorgeous all along.
If you liked this blog, why not check out our blog on how living with a disability has shaped the life, and body confidence, of these amazing Divas? Just click the link!