I am pretty sure you have heard of Body Positivity. We have reached a point where people are celebrating all aspects of their bodies because the positive body movement has given them the platform to do so. Body positivity is the unlearning of the ideas that only specific bodies are worth acceptance and praise. Body positivity promotes the reality that all bodies are of equal importance and value. It is breaking away from standards and letting the person choose what makes them feel good, and encouraging others to feel good, without all the pressures from others in society. Overall I love the concept of body positivity because it enables one to live in a body that has been heavily criticized and regulated and just accepting the skin they live in without the prejudices of others. This movement is for everyone, not only women. This movement celebrates all bodies, all ages, races, sizes, genders, disabilities, illnesses, etc. The overall goal is that no one’s body is no longer a target of bias.
More and more people have been joining and embracing the body positivity movement on social media platforms like Instagram. We see individuals reclaiming their bodies, celebrating the bodies that aren’t usually represented in a good light in mainstream media. For women of color and other marginalized bodies, this movement is enormous because it has helped those individuals to claim the spaces that they have been denied access to. Like feminism, body positivity has been entangled in capitalism and media to sell experiences rather than pushing to improve protection for people whose bodies are discriminated. Slapping a body positive sticker on a capitalistic venture doesn’t it make body positive. If it doesn’t protect fat, trans, POC, and disabled people from discrimination, refuse to consider it body positive.
The overall goal of this movement is to make space all bodies, but especially for those who have been hidden and not celebrated. Improving your body image can be very difficult. Below are some tips that I have found to be helpful for myself which are done by many people online that want to improve their body image.
- Focusing on your positive attributes, skills, and traits.
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Getting in the routine of giving yourself affirmations
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Avoid negative or self-defeating comments about yourself
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Appreciate the functions your body has and what it is capable of
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Set positive and healthy goals for your body
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Admire others but never compare yourself to them.