How to Practice Body Confidence?

When you don’t know where to begin! 

Our world is saturated with images. From billboards to magazine covers, social media feeds to movie screens, television, and even advertising, we're constantly bombarded with portrayals of what "ideal" bodies should look like.

This media consumption has a profound impact on our body image, the way we perceive and evaluate ourselves physically, and takes a substantial hit to our self-esteem.

The human body is a complex tapestry, woven with experiences, emotions, and self-perception. The self-perception in a positive light, is what will lead to self-acceptance, which is “Body-confidence”. 

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Through the lens of the diet and beauty industry, Body Positivity and Body Confidence might seem like the same thing. They DO have an overlap, as both movements promote self-love and self-worth; but they are both quite different.

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This isn’t a new movement.

Body-positive movement was born out of the “Fat-acceptance” movement that started in the 60s.

Yes, you read that right, there was a time where we were trying to convince people to accept “fat” people as worthy. Huh! Were we biased towards people who didn’t look like us? That’s old news, isn’t it? (Do you also see too many similarities with some other “prevalent” issues?)

Sadly, we haven’t come quite far, but more recently, the body positivity movement has grown from fat acceptance to the acceptance of all bodies no matter the shape, size, color, race or gender.

The goal of the movement has shifted to addressing and challenging unrealistic beauty standards constructed by society.

The movement encourages the acknowledgement, acceptance, rights and self-worth of marginalized bodies in society. 

Body confidence differs from positivity as it is about a person’s “own body image”; accepting your own body, irrespective of the appearance.

Our feelings about our body, our perception is rarely formed in isolation. Our feelings on the matter are influenced by outside factors. How we feel about our body can be positive, negative, or neutral.

It takes bravery to stand confidently in your skin, to realize you can be different things, and it is not just about your physical appearance.

When it comes to our view of ourselves, we can be critically harsh because we don’t fit into the mold of what we are supposed to look like. Body confidence challenges the influence of negative external factors, so we can start to accept and one day even love our bodies.

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Feeling the pressure to “look good” is not limited to a certain group of people. It is not gender or race specific, however it is confused as such.

According to various studies across different groups of people, it was found that around 80% of the study group feel dissatisfied with how their bodies look. So, if you have ever felt unhappy with your looks, know that you are not the only one.

Often idolized bodies, presented to us in TV, Movies and social media only portray a narrow diaspora of the human body.

Even if you are a well traveled person, you might not have seen “washboard abs, toned body, and tanned skin” individuals around as much as the “normal looking” individuals.

And still the bodies being celebrated in the media all around are aesthetically “thin”. 

Social media is an incredible way to connect with the world all around by finding a community; It is also an easy way to compare our daily lives with people’s best lives posted online.

It is well known that there is only a certain body type that is idolized in the media, but with social media you come across it incessantly. But what we forget in the doom-scrolling aspiration of validated bodies, is that they are often touched-up, air brushed and done by professionals to present them in a certain type of way.

Research indicates a strong correlation between social media usage and body dissatisfaction, especially among young people. Constant exposure to images of flawless bodies and glamorous lifestyles can breed feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. Moreover, the prevalence of photo-editing tools and filters further blurs the line between reality and fantasy, making it challenging to discern what's authentic.

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Media portrayal often objectifies bodies, focusing solely on physical appearance and sexualizing individuals. There is more often than not a “fat” friend or sidekick that is undesirable, a thin or super athletic main lead that is sexualized by a slow motion montage and other cliches.

This reinforces harmful stereotypes and contributes to body shaming, both online and offline. The constant scrutiny and judgment create a toxic environment where individuals feel pressure to conform to unrealistic expectations, impacting their mental and emotional well-being. 

(According to Experts)

So, what is to be done when you feel yourself sinking in the quicksand of body-comparison?

Here are a few ways, we have gathered from around the web, that have proven successful for people:

1. Customize and tailor your social media feed: We’ve just listed the reasons why tailoring your social media is one of the most important things. Things you find triggering or consuming precious space in your mind should be removed from your feed, and in this day and age, social media sites provide you with the options to do so.
2. Take a social media break: If you find it still overwhelming your mind, taking a short break might be more helpful. You have no obligation to follow anyone on social media that messes up your peace.
3. Try Self-Neutrality: You might find it hard to arrive at body confidence, because it takes a lot of unlearning stuff from your past, nurturing new habits and positive thoughts. So try and start with “body-neutrality”. It’s hard to go from “I hate how my body feels” to “I love my body”; so practicing body neutrality means appreciating your body for what it can do.
4. Separate your self-worth from your appearance: We have been conditioned with the thinking that we are worth as much as our perceived attractiveness; which could not be further from the truth. Once you realize your worth does not depend on your looks in any way, shape, or form, you will feel more free.
5. Do not focus on the Scale: Unless it is for the benefit of your health, do not get stuck on the numbers on the weighing scale. Fitness of different bodies looks varying, for people even at the same weight on the scale. Don't even get us started on the number sizes of your clothes. It does seem like a joke how different brands number their sizes across the board.
6. Focus on what you love about yourself: One of the biggest building blocks of body-confidence is embracing who you are, as you are and meeting yourself at the place of self-love. Love your qualities, values and accomplishments with all the quirks that make you “an Individual”.
7. Dress up and Strike a pose: Feeling confident is more often than not a result of faking confidence, so dress in what you like and strike a pose. It’s funny how we can trick our brain into these things.
8. Think healthier and not skinnier: When you are thinking about your fitness goals, check yourself and curate your goals to be healthier, and not to look a certain way. You will learn this from many health professionals that getting to a body where your abs are as prominent as movie stars, is not a sustainable body shape to hold. So think of your fitness in terms of getting healthier.

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If you think you will come off this journey with a forever rainbow and sprinkles positive attitude about your body, or your body confidence is never gonna waver in the face of trying times then we have gotten lost in translation.

When you find yourself ruminating over what you don't like about your body, try and focus your energy on acknowledging and accepting that your body fulfills you.

The FINAL GOAL of your journey towards Body-Confidence should be feeling at home in your body. You take care of your home, clean it regularly by finding an exercise routine you enjoy or something you want to learn. You decorate it for yourself, by dressing unapologetically. And you accept that it is going to be an ongoing process of taking care of your home.

There's a positive shift brewing. The rise of the body confidence movement is actively challenging unrealistic beauty standards and promoting self-acceptance. Social media platforms are now showcasing diverse bodies, celebrating unique features, and dismantling the myth of a single "ideal" physique.

Media can be a powerful tool for positive change. Documentaries, films, and TV shows with diverse narratives that portray realistic body types and challenge existing norms can be instrumental in fostering body acceptance and self-love.

Educational initiatives promoting media literacy empower individuals to critically analyze media messages and understand the manipulation behind curated images. 

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