When does working out cross the line between self-improvement and self-destruction? It is a thin line that we flirt with on an almost daily basis, and that’s not necessarily our fault! According to the National Eating Disorder Association, 81% of ten-year-old girls are afraid of being fat. It is exactly because of sad statistics like this that girls are bombarded with positive body image rhetoric. This past week was Body Image Awareness Week put on by the Wellness Center, and I started thinking about who was to blame for poor body image. Is it the fault of society or is it my own fault? Blaming society feels like a cop-out. I can’t control others, so how can I expect a complete reversal of society’s portrayal of women? However, putting the entire fault on myself feels like a form of victim blaming. It’s always valid to point out that celebrity and model photos are edited, and the average woman in the United States is 5’ 4” and weighs 165 lbs. But taking the distorted images in the media with a grain of salt doesn’t make me feel better about not looking like the “beautiful” women in magazines. So, what can we do to shut up our negative self-talk and shut out the unrealistic images bombarding us? Here are four ways to actually take action and increase your positive body image!
1. Play Intermurals: If going to the gym is a chore you only do so you “don’t get fat”, then you need to stop going…right now. There are so many other ways to get exercise and stay healthy! Intermurals are fun, and laughter will release endorphins better than a frustrating treadmill workout.
2. Go Make-Up Free: Challenge yourself to a make-up free week. Too often women talk about feeling insecure without make-up. Kicking the habit will allow you to appreciate your natural features and focus on things other than appearance.
3. Put the Mirrors Away: Firstly, all mirrors are distortions of reality. With a combination of warped spots and bad dorm lighting you’re almost guaranteed to find imperfections in your appearance. In addition to putting away the make-up, try to go the whole week without using a mirror to get ready. Imperfections (that everyone has) will be out of sight and out of mind. You’ll have more energy, less stress, and more time to spend enjoying life instead of worrying about how you look.
4. Compliment Others: We are all in this fight together, right? Girls have a nasty habit of judging each other on our looks. A lot of the time we might not even realize we’re doing it. Try to tell others when they look good and mean it! Appreciating the good things others have going for them will help you to recognize the positive in yourself.
“What are you going to do? Be hungry every single day to make people happy? That’s just dumb.”
-Jennifer Lawrence