Body Positive Basics
by Lindsay Mcallister
Everyone wants to love their body, but not everyone knows how to get there. It can seem complicated and be challenging at first. However, it is possible to start simply by breaking it down to five basic tips for becoming body positive. Incorporating this entire list, or just the ones that work best for you, into your life will help you on your journey to radical body love.
Only wear clothes that you love and that fit in a way that makes you feel comfortable.
Seek out stores that sell items you want to wear, in your size and style. Realize that the size on the tag doesn’t matter. Try to avoid clothing that makes you feel negative about yourself or your body. Here’s a shout-out to all of the clothing stores that are actually giving us enough options to be able to do so.
Refuse to engage with any media that promotes an unhealthy body image.
This could mean avoiding mainstream fashion magazines or never watching cable TV shows that celebrate extreme weight loss or makeovers. Recognize how the companies that advertise with these media sources profit off our self-hatred and replace them with options like FabUplus Magazine and streaming services for television shows and movies.
Get rid of your scale and your measuring tapes.
For many people, they create a focus on numbers that are essentially meaningless, instead of focusing on happiness, health and living their life to the fullest. Choose to be mindful and listen to your body.
Appreciate all that your body can do, by focusing on whatever abilities you have.
This will be different for everyone. Do this instead of focusing on how you look. You can do this by making a commitment to compliment yourself on a regular basis. Especially early on in your journey to body positivity, this is helpful in order to counteract the negative beliefs.
Seek out body-positive role models.
Instagram and Tumblr have very supportive communities, you can find them by searching the hashtags #effyourbeautystandards, #honormycurves and #selfiesforselflove. Social media is powerful because it allows us more control over the images that surround us.