For years, the media has been exposing our society to its frequently changing beauty standards. Today, girls are expected to look skinny but not too skinny, have a small waist, full hips and a big booty. Social media shares these unrealistic, even unattainable for some, standards to young women all over the world. Although social media can be fun and entertaining to us, certain content can be extremely triggering for those who struggle with their body image. Social media can lead to negative self-talk and disordered eating through the constant influx of videos and images that are full of enhancing filters and lack of body diversity and promoting dangerous diet lifestyles. Social media can easily create and worsen insecurities for those who are exposed to this type of content.
If attaining a beauty ideal is interfering with your wellbeing, such as causing you to feel stress, anxiety and/or depression, then know that attempting to attain this standard isn‘t worth it. Instead of giving into society’s expectations of beauty, here are some ways that you can keep a healthy mindset.
- Find out what your strengths are
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Understanding what your strengths are can give you a better look into who you are as a person! Knowing your strengths can boost your confidence and give you an idea about your role in life, which can make anyone feel good.
- Accept who you are in this present moment
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Practicing unconditional self-acceptance can encourage self-love, allow you to embrace your true self and even motivate you to work on potential weaknesses.
- Practice body neutrality
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Body neutrality is the idea of accepting your body as is and not engaging in any type of body talk, even if it’s self-loving. This allows you to use more of this freed-up time on other things like a new project or hobbies.
- Equate self-worth with internal values
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Equating self-worth to internal values instead of beauty standards has so many benefits. Not only does it separate your worth from society’s ideals, but it also can allow you to focus on traits that you have such as kindness, humor, etc, and use them more in your day-to-day life.
- Identify and stop seld-sabotaging
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Identify and challenge any beliefs or behaviors that prevent you from achieving your goals! Acknowledging negative beliefs can help you in overcoming your inner bully and allow you to take back control of your life.
- Curate your feed to influencers that suit your interests!
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Take time to unfollow anyone who may glamorize unhealthy diets and excessive exercise. Follow those with your body type or accounts that have content related to your interests/ hobbies.
Thinness, dieting and negative body image are often internalized within us from a very young age but can be unlearned through self-awareness and self-care. If you feel that you or a friend is struggling with an eating disorder, I strongly encourage you to find help and seek treatment.
NEDA Helpline:
Call or Text: (800) 931-2237
Call Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 11 am – 9 pm ET
Friday: 11 am – 5 pm ET
Text Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 3 pm – 6 pm ET
Friday: 11 am – 5 pm ET
For more resources: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support