Spring has sprung, meaning summer is upon us. Get ready for BBQs, bare feet in the sand, 90 degree days- and bathing suit season. The holy terror for the majority of the population. As a woman, or man, in modern society bathing suit season can seriously suck. The fear of ridicule and standing out for not having the "perfect beach body" can cause some serious issues in the summer for a lot of individuals. While having body image issues in the summer can suck, don't let it stop you from taking that beach vacation or swimming at the pool party! Here are five things to remember to help you still live your life this summer:
1. Accept the things you cannot change.
Let's face it, the moment I'm sitting at the beach, I cannot change my stretch marks or the way my hips curve or whatever. Right now as I'm sitting here feeling sorry for myself, I cannot change a single thing. For right now, this is how I look, and once you realize that maybe it's not how you want to look, it is how you look. Sitting on the beach, you cannot change anything so realize that this is something you can worry about later if you have to, but for now, just enjoy your vacation or party or time with friends.
2. Get a bathing suit that suits you.
Find a cute bathing suit that suits your body type and your comfort zone. Having a bathing suit that's a nice color or is a different shape can bring out your other beautiful features that you're not insecure about. This way if your strength is your boobs but you're insecure about your belly, you are thinking about how good your boobs look instead of your tummy. (Even though there's nothing to worry about- you're tummy is super adorable!)
3. Focus on your good features.
I hate my thighs and my stomach and the fat on my arms, but I love my long hair and blue eyes. In the summer I also get really tan, which I love. So rather than focusing on how bad my stomach looks, I focus on how awesome my hair looks- especially in the summer because it gets blonde highlights. Find a good quality and think about that.
4. Realize that no one really cares.
Do you sit on the beach, analyzing each persons bikini body that walks by? Do you count the stretch marks or think about how "fat" someone else looks? Probably not, and if you happen to notice, it's most likely a fleeting thought that does not affect your view of them as a human being. Remember that while you don't do that, neither does anyone else, so no one is doing that to you.
5. Give yourself time to feel bad.
If you have body image issues, even if you do all the things above, it's A LOT harder said than done, so when you first take off your cover up or first arrive, give yourself 5-10 to feel bad about yourself and sulk by yourself. Give yourself that time to feel badly and to realize that you are unhappy with your body at this moment, but after that allotted time is up, do not isolate anymore. Go talk to people. Go swimming. Even if you're faking your smile, fake it til ya make it! Keep talking to people and pretend to be happy and eventually you will start to have genuine fun. Even if you still have awful body image, at least you didn't allow it to take away another life experience. If you enjoy just one day at the beach, you won. Work on your body image once you're home, but enjoy those fun summer experiences.
Remember you are beautiful and negative thoughts are just that: thoughts. Always continue to work on your self image so you can enjoy your life and never miss out on life because of fear.
