Daygers and beach days in Isla Vista are on the rise due to the increasing temperatures. For many, the warm season amplifies body insecurities and negative self-talk. The immense pressure on women to stay fit during bikini season can lead to unhealthy weight-loss habits or complete avoidance of activities that involve swimwear. Living in Isla Vista especially heightens these insecurities, due to the fact we are right by the beach, and wearing swimsuits in public is the norm.
When I first moved to Isla Vista, I struggled to feel confident in my body. Whenever I saw girls my age at the beach with “perfect” bodies, I told myself I needed to work out more or eat better. Pictures of influencers wearing bikinis plastered all over my explore page on Instagram didn’t help much either. This spring, don’t let your body insecurities get in the way of fun dayger and beach days. Below are some ways how I have learned to feel my best during bikini season!
Health Over Looks
If your motivation to work out and eat healthily is to look like Alix Earle, girl, I have some news for you. The point of working out and eating healthy is to nourish your body with what it needs to feel good physically and mentally. Your goal shouldn’t be to look like someone else because that’s impossible!
Even if everybody ate the same food and did the same workout every day, we would all still look different from one another. For a while, I idolized this fitness influencer who would post workout and diet videos on her Instagram and Youtube. I tried everything to achieve her body by eating what she recommended and doing her workouts, but I still never ended up looking like her. Now, I work out and eat what’s best for my individual body, and avoid trying to be healthy for the purpose of looking a certain way. However, loving your body also means balance. I no longer restrict myself to only certain types of foods or a certain amount of calories.
Don’t Believe What You See On Social Media
The majority of what you see on social media isn’t real. We often forget all the work that goes into creating the “picture-perfect” body. Body positioning can create the illusion of a toned stomach. Facetune can smooth out cellulite and unwanted fat, and can also make butts look bigger. Thousands of pictures can be taken before the best one is posted. All of these factors create the illusion of a “perfect” body. That Frankies Bikini ad on your explore page featuring that one influencer is most likely tweaked in some sort of way.
It’s important to take a step back from these types of posts and realize that companies are posting unattainable bodies to sell you weight loss supplements or other types of products. Unfollowing accounts that feature heavily edited bodies helped me with my own body image. Taking a social media detox for a bit isn’t a bad idea either.
Be Nice To Your Body
Commenting negatively on your body is harmful to yourself and others. When someone else sees you make a negative statement about your body, it can lead them to question whether their body is “good” enough too. This is a vicious cycle that repeats itself.
I have found that the negative language spoken between my mom and her body was passed down to me. I find myself using the same mean language she has used with her body. A good rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t comment something negative about your daughter’s body (or even your younger self), don’t comment it about yourself now. It’s important to spread positivity to yourself and others by using uplifting, loving language toward your body. Now, if I find myself speaking negatively in the mirror, I stop and consider complimenting a part of my body that I love instead.
Experiment
Pick out bathing suits that make you feel confident! I know it’s hard to try on bathing suits when you feel insecure about your body, but once you find the right one you’ll feel way better. For a while, I was picking out bathing suits that didn’t flatter my body type and didn’t make me feel very confident. After experimenting with different bathing suit styles, I finally figured out I felt best in triangle bikinis. Despite what the media says, anyone can wear any type of bathing suit, regardless of weight or shape. Wear what makes you feel the most comfortable and confident.
Now go and rock that bikini!