The history behind this movement
Its English name gives an indication of its origin. And yes! The movement originated in the United States. But who created it and why is it spreading around the world? Probably because it deals with a subject that concerns us all: the relationship to the body, to beauty and to self-esteem. The Body Positive movement was created by Connie Sobczak and Elizabeth Scott following Connie's sister's eating disorder as a teenager which unfortunately led to her death.
The Body Positive's mission
The goal of the movement is to build self-esteem, learn to accept diversity and get people interested in more than just beauty standards. But does the Body Positive movement only have good qualities? Let's analyze it together.
Movement's benefits
Bringing people to love their body as it is and to accept the body of others seems to us to be very commendable. Moreover, the movement allows to put forward bodies that were not often shown in the media, but that have always been visible in the street.
But can everyone succeed in loving their body?
For people who have spent their lives not liking their bodies, it's hard to accept themselves overnight. Many women began to feel guilty because they were not able to love themselves naturally.
Indeed, most women agree with the idea of "loving their bodies". However, many women do not feel able to apply this mentality in their daily life.
If you recognize yourself, don't feel guilty. It would be a shame to go from feeling guilty for not fitting the beauty standards promoted by the media to feeling guilty for not being able to love your body! The goal of all this is to feel better, not to feel guilty. We need to be kind to ourselves and take small steps towards self-acceptance.
Some women may also feel more challenged by another movement: Body Neutrality.
But what is Body Neutrality?
Body Neutrality is a movement that advocates neither the positive nor the negative of a body, just having a neutral attitude towards it. Some women find this movement refreshing after decades of body worship! What if we stopped talking so much about our bodies and those of others? What if we adopted a neutral look towards her instead? No bodyshaming and no bodypositivity.
What does that mean in concrete terms?
It means that we don't ignore our bodies;
We don't look at other people's bodies the wrong way;
We don't hate our bodies;
We are not necessarily crazy about our bodies either;
We're just neutral about it all;
We give ourselves a little break!
The main advice of the Body neutrality movement
Live with your body in respect. Simply put.
By thinking less about our body, we can succeed in making it less important to us. With less time given to the cult of the body, we can then develop other aspects of our life and why not indulge in new passions. This doesn't mean that we have to give up our health. But a little cheeseburger from time to time never hurt anyone. It's all about balance.
Respecting your body means taking care of it, but without giving it too much attention.
The evolution of body image through time
Did you know that the average size of a woman when it comes to shopping for pants is 10 or 12. So why is it that the media has always broadcasted images of models never exceeding size 6? By always seeing this size, it is normal to believe that it was the norm.
How many women and young girls have compared themselves to the images (often retouched) of the media? Too many in your opinion? And this concerns women of all sizes. Just because a woman is thin does not mean that she feels good about herself.
Fortunately, well-being and self-esteem can be cultivated and learned.
Some tips to develop self-esteem and feel good about yourself
1- Keep a diary of your qualities
2- Find at least one thing you like about your look (eye color, hair color, style, gait, hands, etc.) and learn how to enhance it if you wish
3- Take care of your health rather than focusing on your body by focusing on good hours of sleep and physical activity that you enjoy such as taking a walk with your dog.
4- Try to see what is beautiful in each person...and treat each other with the same kindness. No more unnecessary judgments!
5- Don't forget that nobody is perfect
6- Bring gratitude into your life by practicing to find a positive element in each day.
And don't forget that if you need help, you can always call the Info-Social service at 811 or a psychologist. For eating disorders, you can contact the ANEB Quebec hotline at 1-800-630-0907 or directly on their website. And that for young people, there is always Tel-Jeunes (1-800-263-2266).
What about you, do you have any tips on self-esteem?
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