The ugly truth about my body confidence journey
The body confidence journey
The truth is that my body confidence journey wasn’t easy. It was (and still can be) hard.
I’m telling you this not to make you give up or despair of ever feeling comfortable in your skin, but because I want to raise your awareness of the likely bumps ahead before you hit them.
Knowing that the journey is going to have its ups and downs means that you don’t give up at the first sign that the going is a bit rough. Instead, you’re prepared for what’s ahead.
A bumpy road ahead
There are a lot of unhelpful beliefs to sort through and ditch when you commit to working on your relationship with your body.
It’s not until you take a good, hard look at all the ways you’ve set yourself up to dislike your body that you realise how entrenched your thinking has become.
And even when you feel that you can change your thinking, you’re living in a society that supports your ‘old’ beliefs.
My body confidence roadblocks
My beliefs were so entrenched in popular culture that I’d never stopped to question them.
It took me a long time to really ‘get’ this body confidence ‘stuff’, and it may be the same for you.
But, don’t despair, it isn’t your fault. Most of what you believe about your body hasn’t come from you. It’s come from someone or somewhere else. Just knowing this fact can help you release some of your body beliefs.
Examining my own beliefs, I realise that I:
- Equated appearance with worth
- Thought success was only possible with a ‘pleasing’ appearance
- Believed I didn’t deserve a nice partner if I didn’t look good
- Used exercise only as a way to achieve the perfect body
- Feared certain foods because I didn’t want to get fat
- Was fat phobic and held stereotypical views about people in larger bodies
- Bought into all the ‘beauty ideals’ – thin is best, long legs, perfect skin, etc.
- Used to praise friends based on how ‘good’ they looked
- Looked down on people who I didn’t think were ‘good looking’
It’s a difficult list for me to write, because it reveals a host of prejudices and closed minded thinking that I deeply dislike and disagree with now.
What’s hindering your journey?
As you read the list above, did you relate to any of the beliefs? I know there will be things on that list that you’re internally nodding your head at. But please don’t beat yourself up about it. There are so many of us who feel, or have felt these things in the past. Our culture positively supports these beliefs. And, when you buy into this thinking, you’re a marketer’s dream!
Remind yourself where these beliefs come from and why they exist. These are things you’ve been taught by industries that profit from body dislike, and they’ve become endemic in our culture.
The body confidence journey is largely about acknowledging these beliefs, challenging them, and moving past them to create new empowering beliefs about yourself and your body.
A journey worth making
The body confidence journey is about so much more than your body. It’s about recognising your worth beyond appearance. It’s rewriting the unhelpful beliefs to recognise the purpose of your life and the value you bring.
It may be a bumpy road ahead, but if you choose to take it, I promise that it will lead to greater peace, ease, and comfort in your skin.
If you’re looking for help and support along your body confidence journey, you can get started with my FREE 5-Day Body Confidence Makeover.
