Spring break is finally here! After three long and arduous months, we have reached the light at the end of the tunnel. We deserve this week where we can just relax, catch up on our sleep, and not think about homework for as long as possible. Many people end up travelling to the beach, and if this is you, you are probably feeling extremely excited to leave the temperamental Lancaster weather to go soak up some sun. However, for many others, this excitement is mixed with feelings of anxiety and dread. Going to the beach means showing some skin, something that you might have been worried about if you, like me, ate a lot of ice cream and pizza in bed this semester as you watched Netflix trying to forget about your responsibilities.
But why should people worry? Shouldn’t they be more focused on relaxing and having fun? It’s difficult, however, when images of perfectly tan, thin, and toned models are constantly being shoved in our faces by the media. From a young age, we have been socialized into believing that this is what we should strive to look like. We are told that outer beauty is manifested through absolute flawlessness.
This is an unachievable standard of beauty. Even though the public is more informed on the extent to which these models are edited and altered to look perfect, many people still go to great lengths to achieve this idealized version of beauty. From hard core dieting to excessive amounts of exercise in the few weeks before you have to put on that bathing suit, people are driving themselves into pursuing an unhealthy, societal misconception. At one end of the spectrum, people can experience a lack of confidence from unrealistic body standards. At the other end, people can develop an eating disorder by taking this unhealthy lifestyle to the extreme.
February was eating disorder awareness month. There are many factors that could contribute into developing an eating disorder, and one of the main culprits is the self-consciousness that the media instills in the public about their body image. Instead of promoting healthy body images and mentalities, magazines still publish photos of airbrushed models, and commercials still promote outlandish dieting techniques (disclaimer: you’re not going to get that model’s six pack of abs from only drinking tea for a month). Eating disorders are serious illnesses that are not helped by promoting this unachievable standard of beauty. While this is easier said than done, recognizing those images and subliminal messages in the media as fake can go a long way towards helping you in being confident in your own skin.
Instead of dreading showing some skin at the beach, be excited! It’s liberating and empowering to be comfortable in your body. We have enough stress in our lives already; we don’t need to add worrying about how we look to that list. So eat what you want! Own your body! Who cares what anyone else thinks? Have fun in the sun, and remember that the only opinion that matters about your body is your own. You have the perfect spring break body.