When students enter college, they enter a time of extreme adjustment. New town, new faces, new sleep patterns and often a new body image. The wear and tear of college life usually takes a pretty heavy toll on physical appearance. Sleep deprivation, alcohol intake, stress levels and meal irregularities become exceedingly evident in the lives of most full-time students. Sadly, these common lifestyle changes have extremely negative effects on physical health.
To make a long story short, the ‘Freshman 15’ is not a myth. However, sometimes this legendary weight gain doesn’t exactly show up on the scale. As a physical example, many former athletes undergo slow transitions from muscle mass to body fat. From experience, going from mandatory practices to no real athletic obligations can be pretty difficult. In this instance, since muscle weighs more than fat, physical ‘weight’ may actually decrease.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, some students visualize a change in physicality where change has not occurred. Stress, lowered self esteem and witnessing physical declines of peers creates negative mindsets. With negative mindsets, comes body negativity.
Like many young women, I find myself suffocated by negative self-esteem. Two semesters in, I have fought the evils of college life to a point of exhaustion. In an age bursting with body empowerment movements, self-love campaigns and the idea that ‘all sizes matter’, it is important to recognize the effects of self esteem throughout all age groups. Specifically, the age groups most easily corrupted by the imperfections of society.
The age of social media has become a Pandora’s Box filled with unrealistic pressures to be ‘perfect’. I say this because I live it. Even those Instagram famous girls with chiseled abs, perky butts and bouncy chests frantically search the mirror for things to be unhappy with. Bodies are full of personal imperfections, yet college living seems to make each flaw scream for more attention. The problem lies in those who can’t find the strength to drown out the screaming.
Mental strength is mental health, and mental health is mental happiness. Being healthy does not have to go hand in hand with being simultaneously paper-thin and Kardashian curvy. Honestly, it’s hard to wrap my mind around that fact that bodies like that even exist.
A beautiful woman is a woman who lets nothing stop her from embracing herself. Every woman has beauty inside of her just aching to be set free. In order to win the fight against college you must win the fight against yourself. Anytime you look in the mirror and feel anything but pride and confidence, that’s a point for the other team. Exercise, eat healthy, have fun and let your strength inspire others to follow suit. After all, college is the time to find your self-worth and use it to take the world by storm. Once you let confidence lead the way, you’ll be unstoppable.