I’ll Have Thighs with That: Embracing Body Positivity

Body positivity frees us to accept vulnerability and practice self-love while decreasing the odds of mental health struggles like depression. But practicing it is kind of like putting down a page-turning book when it’s getting good: In other words, it’s easier said than done.

One of the biggest challenges of body positivity is that we’re all people and our pesky humanness tends to get in the way, whispering not-so-sweet nothings into our ears and overinflating our insignificant flaws.

But fortunately, there are things we can do to fight back, talk back, and take back our self-worth. And five simple tricks include the following:

Practicing self-compassion is a skill to which all of us should aspire (and not only in terms of the body). Self-compassion, in layman terms, is giving yourself a break. A few ways to practice this include recognizing negative self-talk and replacing it with positive affirmations, practicing mindfulness, and taking time to engage in self-care.

You may also benefit from treating yourself like you would your best friend or, perhaps better yet, a beloved pet.

Not many people love all parts of their body but most people love some parts: Focus on the latter! Maybe you have a complexion as smooth as silk or eyes as green as a clover field. Maybe you love that you’re tall or adore being short. Maybe you have hair so curly and long that it resembles 1980s Michael Bolton at his height of fame. Maybe you have dark eyelashes that your friends envy. Maybe you have full lips and strong hips or a million-dollar smile.

It doesn’t matter what you love – I even have a favorite mole! It only matters that you give the parts you love your full attention.

Writing about these parts, or at least making a list, is a great way to solidify your appreciation. So, jot a few things down in a journal or on the bathroom mirror – that ruby red lipstick makes a wonderful pen.

Society – with its perpetually filtered social media postings and magazine ads – compounds the problem of body positivity, leaving us to believe we live in a photoshopped world of one-size-fits-all.

But recognizing that the actual world looks much different from Hollywood, Cosmopolitan, or Vanity Fair is important. It’s vital that we acknowledge things like In Touch Weekly are out of touch daily in terms of reality.

One way to do this is to stop comparing yourself to what you see in the media (or avoid the media altogether). Keeping up with everyone, from the Kardashians to the Joneses, is not conducive to body positivity…. or any positivity, for that matter.

All too often, we view self-care as a luxury rather than a necessity. But it’s true that it’s hard to care for others when you’re not allowed to care for yourself. Thus, don’t be afraid to embrace me-time whatever way this looks like.

For some, this might mean a massage or getting a manicure at a favorite salon. For others, it might mean taking a hike through an evergreen forest or running on the beach with the sand between your toes. It might mean taking a yoga class, taking painting lessons, or taking a nap!

Okay, no one should really mail a scale to the rural prairies of Canada – the shipping cost alone is a deterrent – but exiling it to a garage sale or basement cabinet is a good idea.

The reason is because the scale is full of lies (all lies!) and never a solid reflection of your health. It measures the weight of fat, water, muscle, bones, organs, and pretty much everything but the kitchen sink (unless you are, in fact, weighing a kitchen sink). Its constant fluctuations, deviations that are often meaningless and more likely to cause anxiety than offer any insight into wellness, don’t help.

In short, stop looking at the scale and look in the mirror instead.