When I scroll through my Instagram, I see updates from my best friends, people I haven't talked to in forever, and everyone in between. But, I also see people that I idolize and admire. Some of my favorite YouTubers, actors and actresses, and models. Nowadays, we are constantly surrounded by images of people we think are more beautiful than us, which makes it hard to not make unhealthy comparisons.
Everyone comes up with typical responses when talking about becoming more body positive:
"Be confident in the skin you're in".
"Work out for your health, not for a specific body type".
"Appreciate the things your body can do".
But the biggest one I hear is: Stop comparing yourself to others.
This sounds like an easy concept to grasp. "I don't look like her, and I never will, and that's okay". But, thanks to technology, we get to see these girls we are so envious of every day. It's hard to not compare yourself to someone else when you look at them all time. It's hard not to notice how different you are when scrolling past their latest Instagram post.
I think it's important to note that Instagram "models" and "Influencers" do not live the perfect lives they post about. Some are more transparent than others, but they are all people. Just like you and I are people.
Yes, they post their "I woke up like this" selfies and take pictures of their hot bods at the beach, but whenever I'm scrolling past pictures like those all I can think is, "I'm glad I don't have their problems".
Can you imagine being expected to look nice all the time? People see one bad angle and accuse these influencers of catfishing.
Also, they are constantly being harassed by creepy people online. I don't think I'd be able to handle all of that attention.
Finally, we don't know about their lives before they got famous. They trials they went through growing up, or the things they had to overcome.
Yes, my life isn't one long vacation that gives me the opportunity to show off my body to my thousands of followers. But, I am happy to be a normal girl living the best life that I possibly can. Without all of that added pressure.
So, when you scroll past one of those posts and think "I wish", maybe think of all the things you should be grateful for.
And the next time you want to speak badly about your body, maybe appreciate for the things it can do-- haha, yes I do think this is actually good advice. I am so grateful I have the ability to live my life day to day with few problems that impact me negatively. There are people with more problems than me that love their lives, so why can't I?
And if you're truly having trouble finding the good spots, I suggest going to counseling because there is no shame in seeking out help when you can't help yourself.
