Spring Break is quickly approaching. Smoothie King lines are getting longer than usual, and the UREC is more crowded than ever. Across campus, girls and guys are furiously trying to reach their “spring break body” goal in only a matter of weeks. People are going on crash diets where you eat an egg, a cracker and a scoop of ice cream for three days straight to lose 10 pounds, and exercising for two weeks in hopes of seeing immediate results. Doesn’t sound very healthy, does it?
What I find so ironic is that, in order to look healthier, we’re doing crazy, unhealthy things to our bodies. It’s not unhealthy to set weight-loss goals or work on toning your body, but you have to do so in the right ways and over a healthy period of time. We should work out and eat right because we love our bodies, not because we hate them.
This spring break body madness is rooted in the fact that we constantly compare ourselves to others, always thinking that we’re not as thin, not as fit, or beautiful as someone else. When we look at ourselves in the mirror, all that we see is our imperfections. I guarantee you that not a single person can say that there’s not one thing that they wouldn’t change about their body. By constantly striving for perfection, we risk losing our joy.
We’re bombarded every day with images of what the ideal person looks like, but we have to learn to stop comparing ourselves to others and feel confident in our own skin. We have to stop saying that we have to work on our “spring break body.” Why do we have to change our body to feel good about ourselves?
Look at yourself in the mirror and try to focus on the positives, not the negatives. We are worth more than the number on the scale or the size number on the tags of our clothes. Loving yourself begins with accepting yourself. Don’t be ashamed of your body. Be confident in it. Think about all of the people that you admire that have positively contributed to society. Did their body shape or appearance contribute to their success? No.
Learning to love your body won’t always be easy. It takes time and effort. Put a note on your mirror reminding yourself that you are beautiful inside and out. Make a “self-love” list of 10 of your positive attributes. Surround yourself with people who will remind you of your beauty and encourage you to be your best self.
Then, when you put on your favorite outfit or head out for the beach, be proud of who you are on the inside and on the outside.
