Celebrating Body Diversity: Embracing and Accepting Yourself in All Forms

Glenn Marla, theater artist, writer, puppet maker and art therapist, said it best- “There is no wrong way to have a body.” 

Throughout my years living as a girl and then as a woman, and gaining the privilege of working with a diverse range of clients, it has become painfully clear how unachievable beauty standards set by social media outlets and marketing campaigns negatively impact our mental health. A bombardment of daily messages instruct us to look and act a certain way in order to attract mates, achieve success in work and our personal lives, and raise or maintain our societal value. For many people, a perceived inability to uphold these unrealistic and damaging expectations becomes internalized and can manifest as shame, guilt, self-hatred, low self-esteem, self-harm, anxiety and depression.

Kindly acknowledge that these are symptoms of a greater un-wellness rather than the ramifications of any kind of personal failure. You are not to blame for feeling badly about yourself or worrying that you don’t measure up to certain standards. It is wholly understandable that you would feel this way given the information you’re surrounded by! Furthermore, the way you feel about yourself most likely fluctuates over time and that’s okay, too. 

What you can do is build yourself up, a little bit at a time, by changing your expectations about physical beauty and being more gentle about how you talk to yourself. You can start today by making a list of all the qualities you like about yourself and scheduling daily phone alarms with positive affirmations that will remind you throughout the week. Or, practice these affirmations while looking in the mirror:

• I honor and appreciate my body for all it does for me.

• My body is strong, capable, and deserving of love.

• I embrace my body as it is and celebrate its uniqueness.

• I am grateful for my body and all it allows me to experience.

• I choose to focus on what my body can do, not just how it looks.

• My worth is not determined by my appearance.

• I nourish my body with love, care, and respect.

• I release negative thoughts about my body and replace them with kindness.

• I am beautiful just as I am.

• Every day, I grow more comfortable and confident in my own skin.

You can also join communities and follow public figures who reflect some of your unique characteristics, perhaps in their appearance or identity, back to you- people you can see yourself in. Be sure to surround yourself by folks who make you feel good about yourself. Over time, with practice and patience you can learn to love yourself for your unique individuality.