Tips for a positive body image this holiday season

You are good enough as you are now

’Tis the season for sparkly dresses, parties and overindulging.  Advertisements are currently a mix of decadent food bathed in butter, and buying and fitting into that ‘little black dress’.  It can be difficult to relax and enjoy the fun if you’re worrying about your body, and beating yourself up over eating that third mince pie.  Don’t let your mind bully your body this holiday season.  Enjoy yourself now, you are good enough.

1. Stop comparing yourself to others

One person’s beauty doesn’t take anything away from your own.  Constantly comparing yourself to others can negatively impact your mental health, and is the quickest way to make you feel bad about yourself.  The truth is everyone does it sometimes, even those gorgeous supermodels and actors.  It’s important to remember as well that looking “perfect” is their full time job.  For most of us, with school, college and work we just don’t have that much time on our hands.

2. Remember your body doesn’t care what it looks like

Do you think your kidneys are concerned about how you look in those jeans?  Is your spleen worried about fitting into that dress?  No.  Your body does so many amazing things, and is far too busy keeping you alive to care that you don’t look like Beyoncé.  We live in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s cold, it’s wet, it’s dark.  Your body pretty much wants to just eat some biscuits and hibernate.  So appreciate all of the amazing things your body can do any time you start criticising your body.

3. Remember Social Media is not real life

Social media is a carefully curated version of someone’s life.  People are often filtered and photoshopped beyond recognition.  Models regularly take photos with the newest trendy food (remember cronuts?) but don’t even eat it and throw it away.  They don’t post selfies when they’re run down, and not looking their best.  So if your Instagram feed is getting you down, take a break or find some body positive streams to look at instead.

4.   Self loathing won’t change how you look

Focus on being healthy for yourself instead.  Has anybody ever gotten fit by hating themselves?  No.  Take care of your body.  It’s the only one you’ve got. Eating healthy is important, and so is regular exercise. But don’t beat yourself up for enjoying some mince pies and other holiday treats.  ’Tis the season.