The blessing of the summer months can also feel like a curse because with warmer weather inevitably comes less clothing (lol). With shorter shorts and croppier crop tops, we lose the oversized hoodie that not only covers up our bodies but acts as a shield to our insecurities and vulnerabilities. Don’t get me wrong, I love summer dining, walks, and drives with the windows down. But on the other hand, it seems that every year I have plans to do all the necessary things to be the healthiest, hottest, fittest, tannest, dewiest version of myself… and then Memorial Day Weekend comes and goes and I look in the mirror and somehow, I still don’t feel “summer ready.”
Along with birds chirping and long hours of sunlight, summer can bring a lot of insecurities around body image. For me, no matter how many vegetables I eat or miles I run it’s astonishingly easy for my arbitrary end goal to be just a bit out of reach. I have to work really hard to be kind to myself when I look at a picture that I dislike or head out for a bachelorette weekend where I know we’ll be spending an entire day in swimsuits. The challenge is whether we are especially proud and happy with our overall appearance and body at the moment, or we feel like we have a long way to go, what practices can we put in place to feel like we are enough no matter where we land on the “body image” spectrum? Because the truth is, being content or even happy with our life, how we look, who we are, starts right now – not two sizes down from now.
Talking about where our minds are regarding our physical appearance can sound like the last thing we all want to do right now. But hear me out. I believe that some real healing can take place in community. There’s even the possibility of a new level of connection with others when we learn that they too might have some of the same feelings or insecurities. Consider the possibility that being vulnerable and voicing our self-doubts or negative self-talk with a trusted friend(s) has the potential to remove power or disarm those feelings. Nevertheless, we know that navigating a conversation like this can be daunting so we thought up some questions that can help guide you. We went one step further and asked these questions to our trusted and amazing FS Ambassador Community to lead the way on the vulnerability train 🙂
Here are some of their responses:
1. As the inevitable summer months approach, what is your head-space or attitude around your body?
"Honestly i’m in a good headspace! I think it’s important to remember that you’re born with one body no matter what you look like please treat it well, and you are perfect just the way you are!"
2. What is something that you might do / practice to feel gratitude towards your body in the summer?
"My favorite thing to feel gratitude towards my body during the summer is making sure i’m always glowing and moisturized, and listening to what my body wants :)"
3. Is there something that people say or do in the summer that trigger negative emotions or thoughts in you? Why?
"From personal experience, I think that any comments about body changes can be harmful whether they are positive or negative. I love complimenting people and making them feel loved, but I make a very conscious effort to not make body-specific comments (about others or myself)"
4. What compliments do you find the most meaningful in the summer months?
"You look cute! You look happy!"
5. How do you reinforce the truth “I am enough” even if you may have unmet goals or insecurities about your physical appearance?
"I honestly still haven’t figured this out myself."
Regardless of where you’re at with your body image, it’s our hope that a conversation with your friends about this topic, at the very least, will make you feel a bit less isolated, more supported, and ultimately more confident.
– Ty Hiss, CEO