⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING: Bullying and body image
I feel like I’ve been big ever since secondary school, and of course, have been mocked by my peers and family members for my size. Peers were more forward with their comments like “eh Megan you so fat” while my family would come in with “Megan… eat less carbs ok? Then won’t gain so much weight”.
It’s been a journey (10 years to be exact) and while I’m still working towards my goal weight, I don’t feel stuck in that mental cycle of words and feeling like I wasn’t enough. If you can relate, here are some pointers that may help start your journey to overcoming those insecurities, while learning to love your body.
💔 Break the beliefs that people imposed on you
As much as I remember, I didn’t feel out of place or self conscious with my size until people started telling me so, which led me to believe those lies myself, and it was just downhill from there. Those thoughts would run through my mind and really affected my self esteem. When I went for exchange and was exposed to people of all body types and sizes, I learned to be more open minded and did not let myself sink into this “word prison”.
🌟 Affirmation: I am not what other people say I am, I define who and what I am.
👥 Embrace every single part of your body
This might seem crazy but I actually stood in front of my mirror once, n*ked, and just looked at my body for a full 10 minutes. I wanted to be 100% present and have full knowledge of everything that’s going on. Every curve, every bump, and every single piece of texture, is mine. All mine! BTW, this desensitises you to the fact that parts of your body are not small/big enough, and you learn to appreciate what you have.
🌟 Affirmation: This body, every single part of me, keeps me alive & breathing and I am thankful to be alive!
These mind shifts, while simple, helped a lot with raising my self esteem and making me feel better about my body. If you have any more tips on body confidence, please share them below!! After all, we’re here to #CelebrateWomen and all our bodies 💖
