Abimbola Aderinola Dorcas
In today’s world, body shamimg has become a huge problem. It is an act of bringing someone down with words, which can intentional or unintentional. Body shaming feeds off the self esteem of the persons at the receiving end, as it makes them feel less of themselves and insecure about their bodies. Experience has also shown that this form of bullying has damaging effects on the recipients and their mental health.
Having it in mind that body shaming is a vice that cannot be totally eradicated, here are few ways to deal with it.
1. Love yourself
The very first step to building your self esteem is loving yourself unconditionally. Remember, nobody is perfect and neither are you. So, love your imperfections, because they are part of what makes you you.
2. Speak positive words to yourself
The mouth speaks what the mind thinks. Think positively and speak it to yourself. You begin to emit the aura of positivity when you speak positively to your. Make it a conscious habit to throw compliments at yourself.
3. Work on your temperament
You should always recognise that some negative comments come from a place of concern. Of course, their manner of approach matters. However, make it a habit to see the good in every comment instead of focusing on the bad.
4. Build your self confidence
One major step to dealing with body shaming is building your self confidence. Once you get that in place, people will even find it hard to body shame you because they see you feeling so confident about your body.
5. Learn to accept compliments
Don’t feel so insecure when people compliment you. Know that you are beautiful/handsome and definitely worthy of admiration. So yes, feel good when a compliment is given. They are not always whining you.
6. Always remember, you could have been a culprit too
Nobody is without flaws. As a result, you should be aware that you, too, may have made body-shaming remarks to someone at some point. Therefore, be conscious about your words and interactions with people.
7. There’s room for improvement
If you ever feel there’s something to work on concerning your body, by all means, work on it. That way, you boost your self esteem. However, love and appreciate the process, because you are beautiful either way.