If you’ve spent any amount of time on the internet lately, you’ve probably heard about the Body Positive Movement that’s sweeping social media sites like Tumblr and Pinterest. So, what is the Body Positive Movement?
The Body Positive Movement is a form of feminism which combats sizism and what is known as anti-fat bias. In simpler terms, it’s a movement against negative body images, like those perpetuated by unhealthy thinspiration photos or anything that encourages the idea that there is such a thing as a “fixed” ideal body image.
Body postivity is an attempt to get women to “love the skin you’re in,” as Olay puts it, rather than striving to fix and manipulate every little thing about ourselves that makes us “imperfect.”
Growing up and growing into our bodies is undoubtedly hard, especially with the pressures of the media, our friends and even families. Turning on ourselves and succumbing to self-hatred doesn’t help the process, but it’s an easy trap to fall into. While it’s completely impossible to flip a switch and go from picking at our imperfections to being blind to them, there are steps you can make to start viewing your body in a more positive light.
Here are a few tips from Margo Maine, Ph.D. for the National Eating Disorders Association:
- Create a list of all the things your body lets you do. Read it and add to it often.
- Find a method of exercise that you enjoy and do it regularly. Don’t exercise to lose weight or to fight your body. Do it to make your body healthy and strong and because it makes you feel good. Exercise for the Three F’s: Fun, Fitness, and Friendship.
- Keep a list of 10 positive things about yourself—without mentioning your appearance. Add to it daily!
- Eat when you are hungry. Rest when you are tired. Surround yourself with people that remind you of your inner strength and beauty.
- Walk with your head held high, supported by pride and confidence in yourself as a person.
The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee
Being a part of the body positive movement doesn’t mean that you have to seek a new, healthy lifestyle. In fact, you don’t have to do anything but try to love yourself a little more each day. If achieving body positivity means spending a little extra time on making yourself look and feel pretty in the morning, then do it! There is no wrong way to learn to love yourself more on the inside and out. The body positive movement is all about trying to be healthy everyday — mentally, physically and spiritually — in order to achieve what we all want most in life — happiness.
Want to know more about the body postive movement? Check out these awesome resources:
Seventeen Magazine Body Peace Project
Photo Sources:
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