College is hard. Being surrounded by so many people makes it easy to get lost in comparison within every area of life. Do you feel like you’re doing well in a class? Someone is doing better. Do you feel like you got a lot done today? Someone worked harder. Did you feel pretty? Someone else is prettier. It’s a constant battle, especially for young girls who are raised in a culture that thrives off of pitting women against each other. In the world we live in today, loving yourself is a radical concept.
It’s no secret that social media shows us a highlight reel of everyone else’s lives, leading us to believe that our realities will never be as good as what we see on our feeds. Everyone is aware that Instagram is not anyone’s reality, but that doesn’t make it any easier on your mental health. It is amazing how much you can do for yourself just by separating your life from the stress of the one that you chose to show everyone. Always remember that social media is not reality.
Alongside the constant flow of Instagram photos of girls you are jealous of, there are advertisements for just about anything you can use to modify your body. Eyelash extensions, face masks, teeth whitening kits, weight-loss teas, fancy clothes, and the list goes on. Even when you feel good about yourself, companies capitalize on the idea that you could feel even better. It’s incredibly tiring and it never ends. It’s easy to give in to the economy that surrounds self-improvement products, but remember that every dime spent on one of those products is sending the message that it is okay to force-feed women all of the things they need to change about themselves.
Write yourself a damn love letter. Tell yourself how beautiful, smart and talented you are. While telling everyone else can sometimes seem more satisfying, the only person that it truly matters to is yourself. You hold the power to rebel and love yourself. It is way easier said than done, but nothing worth fighting for happens overnight. I’m by no means saying that I have this figured out, but it is a process that girls must learn to go through together. Supporting each other and a girl’s right to know her worth should never be forgotten.
Choose to love yourself, ladies. It is most likely the most radical choice you will ever make.