Staying Body Positive During a Pandemic

It's not news to any of us that with everything going on the world, maintaining mental wellness and body positivity is something that many of us are working extra hard on, myself included. I decided to write this post because it's important that we all know we aren't alone, and even though I'm not perfect at it (no one is) I wanted to share what I know.

Stop comparing yourself

This is hands-down the most important thing you can do to stay body positive. Right now, most interactions are through social media, and as we all know, people tend to only post about their successes and flattering photos. Since this is the only thing we see from people now, it's easy to forget that everyone has struggles, and everyone has insecurities. comparing our lives and our bodies to others' is only damaging. Everyone is different and beautiful in our own way. Just because we don't look like someone we consider beautiful does not mean we aren't.

Take care of your body

I would like to start off by saying that this one is highly individualized, and only you can know what your body needs. Taking care of yourself can change often too, like some days I need 7 meals, 2 naps, and a full season of a show on Netflix. While other days I need a morning workout, a salad, and a good book. There's also plenty of days in between where I need a little bit of both, and that's ideal for me, balance is key. Giving your body what it needs/wants is essential to having your body and mind in harmony, and sparks a good relationship with your body.

Remember that bodies change

Everyone's lives are looking a little different right now. Everyone is handling it in different ways, and it's important to remember that it's okay for our bodies to change. Our bodies are living, growing entities, and they are not meant to always stay the same. I realize this creates a lot of anxiety within some of us, and we just have to keep in mind that what we are going through is normal.

Positive Self Talk

Be your own hype man/woman! When you look in the mirror every morning even though it's difficult, try to think positive things about yourself (or even say them out loud!). Even though you may not believe it in the beginning, your mind eventually will be convinced. After a while instead of having to combat the negative self-talk with positivity, your brain will just skip right to the positivity. Practice makes (kinda) perfect!

I hope you found these helpful! As always, everyone is different, so these may not work for everyone. Keep in mind too that some days we will feel awesome about ourselves, and other days won't be as great. It happens to all of us. Thanks for reading!