Two terms that we have heard about perhaps several times this past decade or so, are body positivity and self-love. But what do these terms mean exactly?
Body positivity refers to the assertion that all people deserve to have a positive body image, regardless of how society and popular culture view ideal shape, size, race, gender, sexuality, disability, and general appearance. In contrast, self love is something one can work on internally and encourage others to practice. It is really about honouring one’s feelings, taking time for one’s self, and caring for one’s self as is done for others.
The importance of Body Positivity and Self-Love
Poor body image and self-worth could give rise to a plethora of problems, including:
Depression - Women experience depression at much higher rates than men do, and research has shown that body dissatisfaction may play an important role in explaining this gender difference in depression rates. (Ferreiro, Seoane and Senra, 2014)
Low self-esteem – Research has found that body dissatisfaction is associated with poor self-esteem in adolescents regardless of their gender, age, weight, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. (van den Berg et al., 2010)
Eating disorders - Research also indicates that body dissatisfaction is linked to disordered eating, particularly among adolescent girlsm (Figueiredo et al., 2018)
Therefore, learning about and practicing body positivity and self-love could prevent the occurrence of problems, as above, as well as improve one’s quality of life significantly.
Body Positivity
As individuals living in the 21st century, we are constantly receiving information from a multitude of sources. Therefore, one can share an opinion on a body type through an endless list of means; from face to face confrontation, to a subtle advertisement. Therefore, one can practice body positivity to combat this by:
Encouraging individuals with marginalized body types to not only practice self-love but feel worthy of self-love.
Challenging how society views the body.
Promoting the acceptance of all bodies.
Helping build confidence and acceptance of all bodies.
Addressing unrealistic body standards.
The movement also helps decode how popular media messages contribute to one’s relationship with one’s body, including how s/he feels about food, exercise, clothing, health, identity, and self-care. Understanding the effect of such influences allows for the development of a healthier and more realistic relationship with one’s body.
Self Love
The weight of negative emotions and perspective on one’s self can take a toll on one’s physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. This can be combatted by practicing self love though:
Having willingness – Committing to changing one’s ways in relationships, challenging what has not worked so far, and actively committing to understanding one’s self. In addition to building relationships where others can also love you for who you are.
Self forgiveness– Forgiving one’s self for mistakes and errors in one’s past relationships will help cultivate an open heart that is ready for new experiences.
Creating a positive mantra – Becoming mindful of one’s inner voice and guiding it to choose loving messages whenever negativity starts to creep in. An example of an empowering mantras is: “I love and accept myself always”.
Eating well – Being selective about what food one chooses to nourish the body with, is one of the most important forms of self love.
Surrounding one’s self with beauty – The external environment has a significant influence over one’s internal condition. Fresh flowers, soft music, or an organized home can all be very helpful in creating a high vibe living area.
Taking one’s self out on a date – Getting dressed up and taking one’s self out on an outing for one, getting to choose the venue and specifics, will act as a reminder as to who is in control of the self and the future, making all of the effort put into body positivity and self love worth it.
On Valentine’s Day, whether you are single, dating, married, separated, or widowed take some time to reflect upon yourself. Are your ideas about your body image and self love what you want them to be, would you be your own Valentine?
Written by: Bernard Von Brockdorff