By, Caroline Stefanak
As young and growing women, we owe it to ourselves to appreciate how individually we all face our own struggles. Between bleeding once a month, to being constantly judged for what we wear, it has never been easy being a girl. We are criticized over and over again because of what we say, how we act, what we think of our futures and our career goals. There seems to be nothing we can do right in this world sometimes. Whether it’s complaining ‘too’ much about our loss of rights with things like abortion, or having our opinions valued less in workplaces and school, society has set standards up for us that make it almost impossible to feel completely comfortable with ourselves in most cases.
When it comes to body criticism, we are simply objects of perfection or our flaws begin to outweigh our worth. No woman’s body is perfect, yet we have learned to accept what is ‘perfect’ in society may not be what we look like. We owe it to ourselves to appreciate the one body we were given. Instead of squeezing together whatever ‘fat’ you see in the gym mirror, appreciate your natural curves and beautiful skin. Instead of throwing outfits around in your closet because none ‘fit just right,’ find the colors you love to wear and dress the way you have always wanted to. The key to being kinder to your body is beginning to see yourself as the beautiful woman you have always been.
The struggles of being a woman simply come from our anatomy, and sometimes there is nothing more we can do than embrace our womanliness. Being a strong and empowering woman is one of the greatest gifts, and we all have the chance to uplift and make an impact on others around us. Being kind to ourselves is the first step in ensuring that we are able to be as confident and compassionate as we were intended to be. Here are a few ways to be kinder to yourself:
Make time for yourself: A few hours of the day should be dedicated to just you. Between whatever you have to do, there should always be something you look forward to. Maybe pick up a new Colleen Hoover book, or go for a walk. Maybe make your favorite breakfast or dinner. Start, end or maybe even break your day up with something that makes you happy.
Give yourself recognition: Again, being a woman is hard. Give yourself an ego boost by reflecting on everything you’ve done so far in your life. Think about everything you’ve done with grace and strength, and remember how it’s made you who you are. Be proud of yourself.
Treat yourself: You don’t have to go on a $1,000 shopping spree or get all dolled up at the hair salon. Set a goal of what you might want to buy that month. Maybe it’s a new lipgloss or a new pair of leather pants. Give yourself the treat of saving up and buy yourself something nice. Gifts don’t always have to come from others. You deserve a little girl-boss saving moment.
Recognize your dreams: We often look at what we want for our futures and think of our goals as impossible. Give yourself credit for aiming for things out of your comfort zone and make those dreams a priority. Set short term goals to remind yourself you are a lot closer to your dreams than you think.
Overall, we are the only people we will always have a relationship with. Do not let the way society treats women reflect onto your own views of yourself. Don’t ruin the relationship you have with your body, mind and soul trying to be perfect. We owe it to ourselves as women to be kind to our persons. Self-love is a lot more than a cheesy saying.