By, Julia Ciampa
Self – love. To me, these two words used to be frightening ones, associated with endless negative connotations and thoughts. With the help of illusive body image societal criterion, flawless social media stars, and the idea of the “perfect physique,” I constantly found myself drowning in a pool of unrealistic standards. I never truly felt as if I met these standards, which is why I struggled so deeply with my personal body image. From counting calories, to holding myself accountable for going to the gym everyday, to intermittent fasting, I worked at gradually transforming myself to fit the “supermodel” mold. While yes, I did gain the sense of accomplishment of completing a routine, I also lost something as well: my happiness. Maybe my body looked great, but my mindset was the complete opposite. After experiencing this vulnerable phase in my life, I felt numb. Although I thought that altering myself to look perfect would promote self-love, it only stripped it away. However, those feelings of numbness and vulnerability made my outlook on my body image shift. It shortly came to my attention that even after I completed the workouts, counted my calories, and went to the gym, I still had no self – love.
So, in efforts to create the love I once had for my body again, I began by thinking about what makes my body feel good on a daily basis. Personally, for me this consisted of adapting a lengthy skincare routine, nourishing my body with delicious food, sipping on a matcha latte and engaging in the art of meditation. The best part about deciphering what makes your body feel good is that it differs for everyone! Another piece of advice that can promote body positivity is to dress the way that you desire to. Don’t be afraid to escape the glorified criteria created by society which says what looks best on your body type. From now on, you should be the only one to determine what looks best on you.
Additionally, while growing closer to appreciating my body, I found that writing down why your body is important once a week assists with building your relationship back up again. Try thinking about what your body does for you daily, whether it be transporting you to and from locations, allowing you to receive the nourishment you need to function or the ability to utilize your brain for formulating thoughts and opinions. In addition, surrounding yourself with supportive peers is yet another essential factor that can help you with learning to love your body. Having a strong support system to lean on when your journey gets tough can be truly motivational, as they can inspire you to keep going.
Lastly, the final tip that can promote learning to love your body is to change the attitude of comments that you’re exerting on yourself. For instance, instead of tearing yourself down with damaging remarks, when you look in the mirror next only express positive ones. You can start by stating just two things that you like about yourself today, and gradually work your way up to as many as you’d like to state! Through hearing these kind and uplifting comments about yourself outloud, your respect for your body will flourish. This technique has helped me build a strong foundation for progressing towards the greatest amount of love I could possibly have for my body.
The ways to learn how to love your body are endless, however these are just a few that helped me. I quickly surrendered my previous harmful and negative routine, and embraced my new body- positive one. It is so important to remember that your body is a temple, and that you should treat it as such. Adapting your own personal regimens or progressive routines will only aid oneself towards the utmost desirable need: self- love. I cannot say that I am entirely in love with my own body, but what matters is that I am working at it everyday, expanding upon that love everyday. Learning to love your body can be a strenuous process, but the outcome is priceless.