Let's make sure everyone we know feels comfortable in their own skin this new year. Breaking the beauty standards the industry has set up for us all is a battle we are starting to finally have the upper hand in. Everyone is starting to see that the people around them don't always look like what is up on Instagram or printed in magazines. Though, in 2018 because there was such a rise of body positivity and self-love, a lot of people took this as a chance to skew the message. It washed over so much of what was supposed to be a message of self-confidence into a message of hate and shame.
So, instead of sticking to the past let's keep things going forward into a positive light and make these body positive habits the next trending thing for 2019.
Let's start with body praising, AKA sower your friends with body positive compliments. Not only will it improve their attitude but change the way they see beauty. Not everyone comes in a size 00, has the perfect full figured hourglass shape or is extremely fit but that doesn't make them any less beautiful. If your girl looks good in those jeans, tell her she looks just as amazing in and out of them. Your bae has his shirt off? Tell him he's looking sexy.
How about making #QuitPhotoshop trending on twitter or insta? I know we have all talked about this before but seriously, let's stop the body photo-shopping this year. 2019 is the time for the real you to shine and we don't have time to Photoshop ourselves to be anyone else.
Ever heard of body talk? Talk about your body, be open about your body! In the past, the human body was such a taboo topic to talk about from those on both sides of the spectrum. If you even spoke about your nipples, either one side would say it's TMI or the other would get upset because you haven't spoken out enough about them. So you'd go into space where you'd just keep your mouth shut. This year lets make sure we are here to talk about our bodies in a way that is liberating for us all, i.e. just talk about what you are comfortable with without being judged. The human body is natural and talking about our bodies should be a natural conversation!
Just like getting to know your own body is something we should make trendy this year, body education is just as important. Just like talking about the human body is a natural conversation, we should take the time this year to learn about our bodies. Be it for health, sexual or just curiosity, we need to educate not only ourselves but make sure the coming generations are aware of themselves. Also, studies show that when children are exposed/open to the human body at a young age they are less likely to giggle every time they hear the words boobs and penis.
Last but not least on our list of trendy things for 2019, lets actually stop body shaming. It's simple to read these lists and agree with the tips and the rules to stop body shamming, but the most important thing you can do this year is to actually stop body shamming people. If you haven't figured it out yet, body shaming isn't just about weight, it's about the person a whole. When you decide to make a negative comment or even have a thought on a persons hair color that is a form of body shaming. It is negative thoughts and comments that we have that keep this horrid trend of putting those around us down simply because they don't fit the beauty standards we have created in our minds. So please stop.
Mark your calendars, kids, because 2019 is coming and she's changing the game.
