The world is so restless. It is constantly changing, setting new trends and proclaiming new standards. This applies to everything: views on life and philosophy of everyday life, attitude to the environment and to yourself.
The beauty industry is a relentless and ruthless conveyor belt. Yesterday thin eyebrows were in fashion, and today wide graphic ones. Yesterday, Gloss shouted that blue is the trend of the season, and tomorrow the same pages will deny what has been written, because the trend is now brown.
The far-fetched false standards of beauty change every day, and they demand of us the same changes and deformations of ourselves, our personality, and our bodies. But they demand it, not us.
Recently, the publishing house of bestsellers presented a precedent and such a necessary novelty for today’s world – “The power of body positivity. How to put an end to diets and live in harmony with your body “by Megan Jane Crabbe. This book breaks the patterns and crosses the imposed standards of beauty.
The author of the book told in an interview how she lived all her life in fear that she would be called fat. At the age of 5, she started a war with her body. It took Megan almost twenty years to accept herself. And before that there were diets, terrible anorexia and a course of therapy in a psychiatric hospital. Now she is a successful blogger and influencer who wants to change the culture of nutrition and help people build lives, not limited to appearance. Megan knows better than anyone what it is like to hate yourself, your body every day and live a deferred life in anticipation of the transformation of your appearance. In The Power of Body Positive, she shared tips on how to avoid and overcome this syndrome. And understand that you do not have to wait all your life for some version of “more beautiful yourself.” More beautiful according to fleeting and eccentric trends? Is this what we are so desperate for? Forgetting that we will not be beautiful and unique tomorrow. And there are such already here, today, in this body, with this smile, with this hair and with such a perfectly beautiful version of myself. And here are some sincere, experienced and tested advice from Megan Jane Crabbe from her book “The Power of Body Positive”. Take up arms and start loving yourself now!
1. Do not allow friends or relatives to violate your personal boundaries by unconstructive criticism of your appearance.
Get away from these conversations. You can set boundaries and prioritize your own mental health. If you make your point clear and your relatives are still reluctant to respect your feelings, you should not stay with them as the main target of harassment. End this conversation. Leave the room. Get out of the house. Give yourself some space, set boundaries, and remind yourself that you deserve it. In case you forgot, you deserve a place in this world as you are.
2. Stop the daily pilgrimage to the scales
If you wake up every day and jump on the scales before breakfast, you will eventually become addicted to this feeling. From the ardent desire to see a smaller number than yesterday, and the opportunity to be proud of it all day. And I know how easy it is to break this feeling into pieces when the number is not what you wanted to see. Suddenly, instead of pride, you feel ashamed. From now on, instead of relying on an inanimate object that should point us to our importance, we will decide for ourselves. And instead of forcing our body to fit into a figure that we think is best for it, we will begin to trust the initial weight of our body and accept that weight fluctuations are normal. We will no longer give power to the scales.
3. Arrange an audit in the wardrobe
How many things aren’t your size? Yes, I’m talking about those jeans “When I lose 5 kg”. That jacket “Well, five years ago it looked good to me.” About the dress you never wear, but try on from time to time as proof of your disgust, because you still can’t wear it. It’s time to let go of those clothes. Because it reminds you of the complexes you see every time you get dressed.
4. The most important thing: love yourself here and now
I find the greatest consolation in the statement that my body is exactly as it should be. If you are constantly bombarded with instructions about what your appearance should be, dare to say “no”, my appearance should be exactly as it is, and at this moment my body is exactly as it should be. After all, your body does not have to look like someone else, your body is your body, and only yours.
