The month of March is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the first week is ANAD week. ANAD stands for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorder; many organizations (i.e. TWLOHA) use this week as an opportunity to raise awareness and fundraise to help those afflicted with eating disorders. This topic is very personal and holds a lot of stigmas around it. However, this shouldn’t prevent people from having an open discussion about the root of the issue that stems from today’s society. Body image in today’s society is skewed amongst fat-shaming, skinny-shaming, and high standards of what we are “supposed” to look like. This central problem can affect all of us, which is why discussing the hard topic of eating disorders will prove beneficial for everyone.
ANAD Week is all about self-love and self-care, and there are two parts to them. While the obvious part is seeing the good in yourself and realizing that every inch of you is beautiful, we also need to reflect on our emotions and discover why we feel the way we do about our image in order to fully move towards loving and caring for ourselves. Everyone has their low points, but you grow stronger when you realize how to get out of the valley to climb up the hill. It is an upward climb, with rocks and holes along the path, but you shouldn’t stop because you hit a bump in the road; you patch up and keep moving.
If you’re ever feeling down about anything in life and need a feel good boost, just remember these tips: Make sure you drink enough water to hydrate yourself and your skin. Snack when you want, but also eat your full meals. Get plenty of sleep; sometimes you only feel like this because you didn’t sleep enough. Don’t be afraid of the mirror; embrace it and all of your beauty that it reflects. Wear makeup or don’t wear makeup, because it’s your face and you are in control. Make sure you wash your makeup off before you go to bed, though. That extra minute it takes is much better than waking up with makeup all over your pillow. I could go on and on, but my point is, don’t neglect what you need, mentally and physically. It’s your body and your life, so why waste it on what society portrays as the “perfect person”? That doesn’t exist. We are all so unique and that is what makes us lovely.
“Stop counting the numbers on the scale, and start counting the love in your heart.”
For more information, check out:
https://twloha.com – To Write Love on Her Arms
http://www.anad.org – National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
https://www.womenshealth.gov/mental-health/hotlines/ – website list of Mental Health hotlines
All Photos From: UnSplash & StockSnap