Self-confidence: Nurturing Self-love and Body Positivity💫

 Hey everyone! Hope you are all doing well💞. 

Todays topic might be a sensitive one for some readers, something that a lot of people struggle with, body image and confidence. Self-love. Even though it is a sensitive spot for people, I feel like it is such an important topic to talk about. Today, I want to create a space where we can all celebrate each other's unique beauty and realise that we are all beautiful in our own ways, and for those who might not be quite there yet, hopefully this blog post will have something valuable for you to take away that you can start your journey to self-love💖.

I'm sure growing up we have all struggled at one time or another to meet the unrealistic beauty standards that social media and society present to us every single day. I know I have, and sometimes still do. We often find ourselves constantly comparing looks, body, even personality to different people on social media. The journey to self-love and body acceptance is definitely still a working progress for me but I feel like every day I am getting more and more confident in myself😊. I have recognised the importance of loving yourself and even the difference it makes to your mood is crazy! Learning to accept my body, looks and personality has definitely been a transformative experience. 

It's mad the impact that social media has on us. In my opinion, it is probably the leading cause of most of our problems🥲. Our social media feeds are flooded with carefully edited photos and videos that portray unrealistic standards of beauty, and sometimes we don't even realise it! The constant use of filters and editing tools blurs the line between reality and illusion. There is definitely nothing wrong with using filters or editing tools for photos, but its so important to remember and embrace our natural beauty too (it's the best)🌟. Social media has also created this comparison culture, the thing that probably makes us feel the worst about ourselves but is easier to do than loving ourselves... The minute that we stop comparing ourselves to other people is the minute we start loving and accepting ourselves for who we are. 

Here are a few small things we can do that can make a huge difference to how we feel about ourselves: 

Embrace our individuality. The things that make us who we are are the most beautiful qualities we have. Straight hair, curly hair, big b00bs, small b00bs, small, tall, thin, thick, curvy, we're all gorge👑. The sooner we embrace these qualities that make us who we are, without feeling the need to conform with narrow beauty standards, the better🥰. 

Start practicing self-compassion. Simply being nice to ourselves. It is very easy to look at the mirror and be quicker to say something bad about how we look rather than something good. Imagine if a friend came to you and started saying awful things about themselves, start treating yourself the way you would treat someone facing these struggles. You can be your own best friend or your own worst enemy, it's all up to you. It is okay to have moments of self-doubt and feeling insecure, but use these as opportunities to grow more and reflect. 

Shift your mindset. This is probably the hardest thing to do but the most powerful. The difference a positive mindset can make will probably shock you. Our brains have a funny way of working in that sometimes you would swear the voice in our heads is a completely different person, unable to be controlled by us. Instead of looking in the mirror and saying something bad, pick out something good. Whether it's the fit you're wearing that day, the hair is hairing, your skin is looking the best it ever has, look for at least one thing that is positive (there is always something, sometimes we just don't acknowledge it)💁🏽‍♀️. 

Hopefully there is something someone can take away from this read today. I am always here for anyone who needs to talk💗. Let's start supporting each other and create a better standard of beauty for ourselves and younger girls (and boys)❤️‍🔥. 

-E 🎀