With summer on the way, the pressure to get a “summer body” is strong. You’ll find a ton of ads and blogs about what to do and how to eat to get a body that is “perfect” for the beach. There is pressure to get fit, to get a flat stomach and to lose weight to be able to feel like you can look good, especially in a swimsuit. But you don’t need to rush to lose weight and get fit to enjoy the beach this summer. Any body type can rock a swimsuit in this warm weather! This is easier to think than to put into practice but this mindset can turn into reality.
Social media is bombarded with pictures of people in swimsuits who fit the ideal body standard which can make us feel less confident in ourselves. With the summer season approaching there’s more and more obsessive talk about one’s physical appearance. The reality is, though, that the ideal body standard is not reachable for everyone. Everyone was meant to look different, everybody’s genetics are different and if you put every person on the same diet and same exercise routine, not even then would everyone look the same.
The obsession over the perfect body can be exhausting. Your time and energy can be focused on things that will help you reach your life goals. Trying to get a bikini body can be unhealthy and ruin your life. No one, not even you, will remember what you looked like in the summer months, but you will remember spending time with friends and family and enjoying and living your life to the fullest. Making good memories and having fun doesn’t require a fit and “perfect” body.
Beaches and pools can be scary. The constant comparison may run nonstop in your head. When you find yourself in this situation, try to be present in your surroundings. If you’re by yourself, focus on what your plans are for that day if you’re going to sit and lounge on a towel or if you’re going to swim in the water. If you’re with friends or family, focus on spending time with the people you love and care about and who love and care about you.
Practice habits that make you feel good! If working out for hours a day and just eating salad puts too much pressure on your mental and physical health, don’t do it. There are plenty of other healthy habits that are not too drastic that can help you feel better, not just physically but mentally. Eat foods that make you feel not only good but happy. Goals like drinking more water and going on daily walks can easily be worked into someone’s everyday routine. Instead of listing all your flaws, try and list out your talents. Name things you love about yourself that have nothing to do with your body. Wear bathing suits that make you feel confident, whether that’s a two-piece, high or low-waisted bikini bottoms or a one-piece. As long as you feel good about yourself, that’s all that matters.
You should work on being the best and healthiest version of yourself. If that leads to your body changing then that’s okay. Feeling good about your body should not only come if your body fits a type of standard, and should be about how we feel not just physically but mentally, and not just about what we look like on the outside. So this summer, go out in your favorite bathing suit and cute clothes with the knowledge that you can wear whatever you want without changing your body. The body you have now is just great.