Just like everyone else, I have my own insecurities. And there are many. I used to look in the mirror and pick out everything I didn’t like in the reflection. I would groan at how my stomach wasn’t as flat as the models and celebrities I’d see on Instagram. I would see the size of my arms and be upset that they jiggled when I’d walk or run. I would even be frustrated that I was the tallest girl out of my friends. The nitpicking was never ending.
After a while, I was fed up with this negative attitude of mine. Although I haven’t found the cure that eliminates all insecurities, I am writing this to share what has helped me gain body positivity throughout the past year or two of my life.
I recently came across a quote that read, “your body is the least interesting thing about you.” Immediately after reading this, it has become a motto throughout my daily life. If I ever look in the mirror and am not feeling my best self, I just remind myself of the other amazing things that make me who I am. My personality, character and interests are the most interesting things about me; not the way I look. Using this sentence as a daily reminder allows me to keep a positive attitude towards my body and emphasize the other aspects of myself that spark people’s attention. This concept and many others like it have been the root to my growing self-love, as quotes like this are extremely inspiring for someone struggling with body image and self-esteem.
Another tactic I’ve recently used to build self-esteem has been to follow body positive accounts on different social media platforms. On TikTok, two users have recently caught my eye in the body positivity genre of accounts. Remi Bader, a 26-year-old influencer, started her TikTok fame by posting “realistic hauls” of top name clothing brands. She gives straight-up, honest opinions and reviews on each piece of clothing she tries on, focusing on the plus-size section of each brand. Bader uses these videos to showcase the need for size inclusion in the fashion industry. Through each video, she expresses that all bodies are beautiful and that there is nothing to be ashamed of when looking in the mirror. Her videos not only make me laugh by the humor she adds, but they also make me feel good in my own body. Bader reminds me every day that I don’t have to have the perfect body to be happy and that there is so much more to life than comparing yourself to the models you see in the media.
In relation to not comparing yourself to others, 24-year-old TikTok star Victoria Garrick has made a name for herself through her body positive videos, highlighting how common photoshopped images are published on social media. In many videos, Garrick shows a picture of herself in a bikini, posing like a model with a stick-thin body, and then later sharing another photo with her natural curves, rolls and stretch marks. She displays the deception that photoshopped images hold on social media users and reiterates that no one should be comparing themselves to an image they see online. Most likely, the photo you’re seeing was photoshopped. Following each of these users has helped me realize that my body is specifically made for me, and I should always love its uniqueness.
Although these two concepts have helped me gain and continue to enhance my personal body positive attitude, there are always days where I won’t feel the best about myself. I will always have times where I don’t like what I see in the mirror, but that doesn’t mean I should stop working towards strengthening my self-love. Body positivity is a constant rollercoaster, but will always be worth it in the end.