Hello beauties,
Welcome back to part 2 of your self-love journey.
Yesterday I introduced you to the potentially damaging impacts social media is
having on our body confidence. But today's the day we put that behind us and I
help you start to realise what a truly fabulous human being you are. All you
have to do is sit back, take mental notes and enjoy the ride.
So where to start? Well, one solution many experts
recommend is abstaining from social media altogether. However, before you fall
to the ground, dramatically questioning the point of humanity, as your world
implodes around you along with your 500-day streaks, let me tell you something.
I don't agree with that solution one little bit. Yes, I might not have a PHD to
prove my braininess. And yes, I might not have the title of Dr to instantly
validate my opinion. But I like to think I have a little common sense. The
reason why I don't agree with their solution is primarily owing to the fact I
don't believe it solves anything. Instead of running away from our problems, we
should be tackling them head-on. Plus, cutting social media completely out of
your live is just plain unrealistic. Whether we like it or not, we live in a
world now that relies heavily on social media. We use it for everything from
keeping in contact with friends, to raising awareness of world issues, to
marketing global brands. And although social media may not be a life necessity,
it's certainly a tool which in many ways makes our everyday lives that bit
easier. Consequently, you can breathe out a sigh of relief as I'm not going to
advise you deactivate your Insta quite yet. I believe there are steps we can
take to reap the positive benefits of social media whilst simultaneously
learning to love ourselves. Just keep reading to find out how...
1. Even Supermodels Are Human.
The media creates the illusion that these perfect images
are natural. It insinuates with a strict diet or gruelling fitness regime, the
'perfect' body type is fully attainable. And I think the first thing to
establish here is that these images of our favourite celebs are often anything
but natural.
Behind the scenes, a lot of work has gone into those
selfies to airbrush blemishes, digitally enhance features, illuminate
complexion, smooth out fine lines, sharpen cheekbones and shrink figures. In
fact, a staggering 68% of images you will see on Instagram have been edited or
touched up in some way.
To me, it would appear that beauty has mutated into the
'Russian doll effect' where the majority of stars online are choosing to hide
behind idyllic filters, camouflage flaws with layers of make-up and reconstruct
themselves through means of degrading cosmetic surgery. Yet if we strip all of
that away, you are left with still an equally beautiful person but this time a
human being who just like you or I, has imperfections and insecurities about
their body image. So while celebs might seem like these total gods and
goddesses, in reality they're simply ordinary people like us.
2. Just because your friends edit their photos, doesn't
mean you should edit yours.
Nowadays, we don't have to fork out for a high quality
camera to make our photos look good. While phone cameras have improved
dramatically, there are now a plethora of photo editing apps, not to mention
the 40 Instagram filters to choose from. Within a couple of clicks and swipes,
we are now able to create our very own virtual doppelgangers.
When all your friends and family are touching up their
selfies, you can feel pressured to do the same. But try not to succumb to that
pressure because:
A. Whether you believe it or not, you are absolutely
gorgeous and you don't need to change a thing about yourself. Although your
appearance is partly down to genetics, I believe God or whoever, made you the
way you are for a reason. They don't just decide these things willy-nilly like
a child with a colouring book. Everything has a meaning and a purpose so you
might not like your nose right now but someone out there might find it the most
attractive nose there ever was.
B. You're not a sheep. You are your own person and you do
things because that's what you want to do, not because other people are doing
it. Therefore, if you think you look pretty awesome in a photo, don't edit it!
C. Being yourself is so much more empowering and
inspirational to other girls. And I know some people are going to roll their
eyes at what I'm about to say. But if you are posting genuine selfies, you are
potentially making a huge difference to another person who is also struggling
with their body image, because you're telling them it's OK to be yourself.
3. Surround yourself with other positive media
influencers.
Believe it or not, amongst the narcissistic and
diet-obsessed preachers, there are in fact thousands of bloggers and
Instagrammers who are doing incredible things for promoting body confidence.
One of my personal favourites is the lovely Stacy Solomon who if you haven't
heard of, you should definitely check out. In her social media posts, she
readily embraces her imperfections and empowers other women to be proud of
their bodies.
Another one to check out is Loose Women. This ITV daytime talk
show features a group of female panellists who discuss topical issues and
ongoing debates. People out there might say this programme is primarily
targeted at adults however I believe it's aimed at teen girls too. What I
especially value is that the show has a strong, authentic focus on body
confidence and mental health. Last year, they did a campaign called Body
Stories where the panellists stripped down to their knickers and were
photographed without any filters or airbrushing. They also have social media
accounts and a YouTube channel where they regularly post positive and
motivational content.
In general, my advice would be to follow people who make
you smile and make you feel good about yourself. Unfollow the negative people
because they are so not worth your time or headspace.
4. Beauty isn't skin-deep.
A lot of the time, I think we become so fixated and caught
up in the images that we forget to even read the caption. And whilst sites such
as Instagram may predominantly be built on imagery, we have to remember that
social media is not just a gallery of aesthetic beauty. It's an ever-growing
community where individuals can inspire, empower and support one another. A
transcendent platform where anyone and everyone can express themselves, voice
concerns and share their opinions (obviously without slagging anyone off, let's
just make that clear).
Undoubtedly, we are beautiful but there is so much more to
us than that. There are so many other amazing qualities such as our sass, our
intelligence and our ambition to name a few. So when you're on social media,
remember that.
• Follow people who inspire you because of who they are,
not because of how they look.
• Dare to be a little different. Mainstream is so boring.
• Post content which is meaningful to you and which
motivates others.
• Stay true to yourself because there's only one of you in
the world which makes you pretty damn rare.
• Spread the love and smile xx
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