Three Reasons Why Dealing With The Body Is Important

We should all love our bodies unconditionally, just as they are. However, what happens when we don't like them? What do we do, and what effect does this have on us?

Unfortunately, our society encourages us to strive for perfection, resulting in unrealistic expectations about how we should look and feel about ourselves. People receive different treatments based on their body shape. Anyone who does not have the ideal weight as defined in society suffers from shame, self-destruction, and low self-esteem, as about 91% of women are dissatisfied with their bodies and resort to dieting to obtain the ideal body. These statistics show that the battle for body positivity still has a long way to go.

What is body positivity?

Body positivity means that people feel happy with and proud of their bodies, whatever their shape or size. In 1996, the term “body positive” was first coined when a psychotherapist and a patient in treatment for an eating disorder created a website known as (thebodypositive.org).

In the past few years, we have seen huge shifts in conversations surrounding body positivity. Big brands and companies have joined in and taken a stand against unattainable body standards. However, there is still a long way to go.

Body positivity is a mental and physical state that emphasizes people's personal strengths rather than their physical appearance.

What is the body positivity movement?

The body positivity movement was first created in the 1960s to empower women to accept their bodies and shed the shame associated with fat stereotypes. As a social movement, it strives to help people understand how social media and its content influence how we see our bodies by better understanding the impact of these influences.

As Caroline Caldwell said, “In a society that profits from your insecurities, liking yourself is an act of rebellion.” However, the body positivity movement has been criticized by some for its lack of inclusiveness. That is, it still tends to be dominated by white people, beautiful women, and handsome men who do not stray from the accepted norm. Therefore, this movement still has a long way to go before achieving its goals.

3 Reasons why body positivity is important

Let's be honest. We have all looked in the mirror at some point in our lives and judged a certain area of ​​our body as not good enough. However, when you start complaining about your apparent flaws, you mistakenly distort your body image, as the desire to be taller, shorter, or thinner can harm your mental health. Wanting to be someone else is the quickest way to create a life full of pain and suffering. This is why there is nothing more important than loving the body you have.

Let's explore three reasons why body positivity is important:

1. Promoting the concept of self-love

We live in a body-obsessed culture that thrives on idealized notions of how a perfect body should look, and it is not surprising that many people feel that their bodies are something they should be ashamed of. Instead of learning to love and accept themselves as they are, they embark on a lifelong mission to fix themselves.

Accepting your body as it is is an act of self-love. It goes beyond outward appearance, and you should never feel like you have to change something about yourself to suit your situation. Rather, accepting yourself and your body exactly as they are means respecting and accepting all aspects of your personality. It is a daily practice. But once you start developing yourself and accepting how you look, other people's beauty standards will no longer affect you.

Your body and your choices are no one's business, so don't let anyone tell you who you are. Mind your own business and keep being amazing; that's enough.

2. Improving mental health

How you feel about your body affects your self-esteem and mental health.

The challenge with negative thinking is that once you start complaining about one area of ​​your life, it becomes easier for you to complain about others. A study found that people who suffer from weight preoccupation or body dysmorphic disorder show higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms and are more likely to commit suicide. So, the next time you have unkind thoughts about your body, check in with your mental and emotional state, and ask yourself: Am I feeling overwhelmed or anxious? If so, what area of ​​your life makes you feel this way and why?

Mindfulness-based practices are a great way to connect intelligently with your body and tune in to what it needs to feel more comfortable. Kindly speak to your body and give it blessing, love, and compassion. Nayyirah Waheed says, “I quietly told my body, ‘I want to be your friend.’ It took a deep breath and answered, ‘I’ve been waiting for this all my life.’”

Improve your body positivity every day and stay healthy. In a world that is constantly trying to change you, make it your life's mission to stay true to yourself.

3. Challenging beauty standards on social media

When you scroll through Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, you see many ideal male and female bodies. These unrealistic images have become the standard by which we measure the ideal body.

Pay attention to the pictures you see on the Internet. What you see on social media is only sometimes real. In fact, many images are manipulated and edited to make people appear younger and thinner. As a result, many men and women end up paying for surgeries to change their bodies in the hopes of being accepted.

Fortunately, supporters of the body positivity movement have made strides to retaliate against body-shaming culture; They use social media to bring about change.

One of the growing social media trends is posting body-positive content aimed at challenging limited beauty standards. Instead, they promote the idea of ​​accepting and appreciating all bodies. If you haven't done so yet, we encourage you to challenge stereotypes of male and female body images through social media. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have the power to influence people in a way that makes all people feel included. We still have a long way to go, but anything is possible.

Let's pave the way and encourage the younger generation of boys and girls to strive for more energy and vitality instead of being obsessed with diets, weight loss and the perfect body.

Final thoughts

No one should apologize for their body shape, nor should they feel that they must change something about themselves to be accepted by others or fit into the society around them. You are perfect the way you are; acknowledge this fact and do not allow anyone to make you doubt your worth.

Man is more than just a body; you are a whole person. Your thoughts, feelings, and actions are all part of who you are. When you show love and acceptance of your body, you give yourself space to focus on all the other amazing parts of you. The most important relationship you will have throughout your life is the relationship you have with yourself. So, celebrate your beautiful body. It is the only place you should live, so respect and take care of it.