As the summer sun begins to shine, the season brings with it a time for beach outings, pool parties, and wearing lighter clothing. While these activities can be enjoyable, they often come with societal pressures to have a "perfect" body. This can lead to anxiety and negative self-image.
Understanding Body Positivity
Body positivity promotes accepting and loving your body, no matter its shape, size, or appearance. It originated in the 1960s as a response to unrealistic beauty standards perpetuated by the media and fashion industries. These standards often promoted a narrow definition of beauty, excluding people of diverse body types, ethnicities, and abilities.
The importance of body positivity extends beyond physical appearance. Negative body image is tied to mental health issues like low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety. It can also harm physical health, leading to disordered eating and neglecting exercise. Embracing body positivity helps individuals develop a healthier relationship with their bodies, fostering overall well-being and self-confidence.
The goal of body positivity is to challenge societal norms, promote self-love, and recognize the beauty in diversity. This idea is about celebrating all bodies and understanding that everyone deserves to feel confident and comfortable in their own skin.
The History of the Body Positivity Movement
The body positivity movement has a rich history with important figures and campaigns promoting body acceptance. Activist and writer Marilyn Wann, who founded Fuller Figure Fashion Week in 1991, was one of the earliest pioneers. This event provided a platform for designers and models who challenged the traditional beauty standards of the fashion industry.
In the early 2000s, the rise of social media gave rise to a new wave of body positivity activism. Blogs and online communities became spaces for people to share their experiences with body image and celebrate their bodies. Influential figures like plus-size model Tess Holliday and writer/activist Jes Baker used their platforms to challenge unrealistic beauty standards and promote self-love.
Today, the body positivity movement continues to evolve and grow. There are different schools of thought within body positivity, such as body neutrality and radical body positivity. Body neutrality is about accepting your body without judgment, while radical body positivity opposes ranking bodies based on attractiveness.
Challenges of Body Image in the Summer
Summer can be a particularly challenging time for body image. The abundance of advertisements featuring "ideal" beach bodies, combined with the pressure to look a certain way in swimsuits and summer attire, can create a heightened sense of insecurity. Social media platforms often exacerbate these feelings by showcasing edited and filtered images that set unrealistic standards. These images can make us feel inadequate and dissatisfied with our own bodies.
The media's portrayal of "ideal" summer bodies is often narrow and exclusionary. It typically focuses on young, thin, and white models who have been airbrushed and edited to achieve perfection. This creates a false image of what a healthy body looks like and can leave people feeling like they don't measure up.
The Impact of Celebrity Culture: Celebrity culture also plays a role in shaping body image anxieties. Celebrities are often held up to unrealistic standards, and their bodies are constantly scrutinized by the media. This can create pressure for everyone to achieve a certain level of thinness or muscularity, regardless of whether it's healthy or attainable.
Remember: It's important to be critical of the images you see in the media and on social media. Recognize that these images are often carefully curated and don't reflect reality.
Tips for Embracing Body Positivity in the Summer
Here are some practical tips to help you embrace body positivity this summer and all year round:
Focus on Health, Not Appearance: Shift the focus from how your body looks to how it feels. Engage in activities that make you feel strong and healthy, such as swimming, hiking, or yoga. Feeling good physically can boost your confidence and self-esteem. Consider including a sample summer workout routine or healthy recipe suggestions in this section.
Surround Yourself with Positive Influences: Follow social media accounts and join communities that promote body positivity and self-love. These communities can provide a supportive space to connect with others who are on a similar journey. Look for body-positive influencers who celebrate diversity
Who are some popular body-positive influencers you could follow?
- Spencer Barbosa. She is a content creator, entrepreneur, and actress who preaches bare-faced confidence and creates videos that focus on body positivity.
- Remi Bader. Bader is a Titktok content creator and curve model who creates ‘Realistic Hauls’ where she “tries on new clothing from all kinds of stores in front of the camera to give her followers her raw and unfiltered review”.
- Jessamyn Stanley. She is a yoga instructor, writer, and body positive influencer who shows how she teaches yoga as a plus-sized woman of color.
Wear What Makes You Comfortable: Choose clothing that you feel good in, regardless of trends or societal expectations. Confidence comes from comfort. Put yourself first.
Practice Self-Care: Take time for self-care activities that make you feel pampered and valued, such as skincare routines, meditation, or simply relaxing with a good book.
Challenge Negative Thoughts: Whenever negative thoughts about your body arise, challenge them by reminding yourself of your strengths and positive qualities. Affirmations can be powerful tools in shifting your mindset.
Try to focus on how you feel, not how you look. Take into consideration this tip from Refiner 29 as well:
“Set is short for mindset. Check in with yourself before you do things that might create a sense of stress or heightened sensitivity. Be honest. If you know you’re in a sensitive body place, you don’t have to push yourself.
If you have the emotional reserves to push through despite anxiety, remember that you’re allowed to feel all the feelings: excitement and anxiety, fear and joy, openness and caution. Welcome them all in. Take care of each appropriately.”
Body positivity is essential for mental health, especially during the summer when societal pressures can be overwhelming. By embracing self-love and acceptance, you can enjoy the season to its fullest. Remember, every body is a beach body, and the most important thing is to feel good about yourself. Let's support one another in our self-love journeys.
Visit our Mental Health Resource Center for more ways to to maintain and improve your mental health.
About the Author
Mariana Heyel, Communications Coordinator at Acenda, is a South Jersey native who ventured to the University of South Carolina for her undergraduate degree, where she studied Marketing and Entrepreneurial Management. Passionate about connection, good stories, and the importance of mental health in her life.