Body positivity can be a bit of a rough subject. As we’re being constantly bombarded with images of what men and women “should” look like, it’s easy to get bogged down about how you look, and to compare yourself to the picture-perfect bodies we see every day in the media. That’s why taking the time to work on our self-esteem and to teach ourselves about self-love is so important. It can be hard, but so worth it!
Recently, I’ve come across a side to Instagram that was completely new to me, hundreds of accounts based purely on feeling good about your body. Seeing men and women boldly document their journey to accepting and loving their bodies was so inspiring, and really helped me to realize how important it is to surround yourself with positive role models who remind you to love yo’self!
So, in no particular order, here is my top 5 body positivity accounts on Instagram for all the self-love inspo you may ever need:
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@bodyposipanda: Megan Jayne Crabbe:
As she describes herself in her bio, Megan is a “body positivity babe, anorexia conqueror, feminist, best-selling author.” My favorite part about her account is her comparison pictures, showing unrealistic expectations of the media (which we’re all guilty of comparing ourselves to), and real-life women.
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@kellyu: Kelly U
Kelly U describes her account as a place of “self-lovespo” and “recovery” She is a university researcher documenting her recovery from her eating disorder, and inspiring thousands of people along the way. Need I say more? Get following!
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@dothehotpants: Dana
The beautiful Dana uses the hashtag #MyBodyStory to repost submissions from people around the world who wish to share their journey to self-love. It’s so unbelievably inspiring to read stories from real people about learning to accept themselves, and reminds us that we don’t need to be “perfect” to be worthy of love. Follow dis gal!
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@positivitypoppa: Rishi Bhaskara
Rishi is an advocate for “Male body positivity” and is also a “Mental/physical health helper” and a “proud father”, as he says in his bio. Male body positivity is something not often spoken about in the media, but it’s so important for people to be aware of.
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@notouriouslydapper: Kelvin Davis:
Kelvin describes himself as a “Body Positive Gentleman Author, Blogger, Model, Dancer & Activist” (wow!) He posts pictures captioned with little pieces of advice and encouragement. Well worth a follow!
Social media may get a bad rep at times for making us believe we’re not good enough, and showing us images that may set unrealistic standards for ourselves. However, it can be used to spread so much positivity and encouragement when put into the right hands!
So next time you’re lurking Kylie Jenner’s Instagram wondering why you don’t have her perfect body, perfect skin or perfect hair, pop onto one of these pages. Remind yourself that you’re amazing just as you are, and that you are worthy of your own self love and acceptance.
Join the body positivity revolution!
Until next time,
Sophie
Image by Proud2BeMe