“Hey! Did you see the new post by that actor? She looks so perfect! Perfect figure, that fair skin! I wish I too had a figure and complexion like her!”
This sounds like a very normal conversation, right? It is, but it is not. Very often we tend to look around at people, be it any celebrity or in general, we compare. We give that person the tag of being perfectly fine-looking and think of ourselves to be inferior in front of them. The deep- rooted typical beauty standards have impacted each one of us in a way that we always have this hustle to fit-in the description set by society and you will be considered ‘beautiful’ only when you have this perfect figure with that fair milky skin, and long brown hair. There are people who have all these features and yes, they are beautiful, but that does not make you or me or anyone else less- prettier, does it?
In our society, the standards set are insane. You should be slim but not way too much, you should be tall but way too tall, if you are on the healthier or chubbier side you will be body shamed in a direct or sarcastic way and yes! the obsession with fair skin is insane. There has been so much rush to just fit in this standard that we forget that beauty is not actually more about appearance, it is about mentality! It is about being kind, grateful, confident, and self-love.
There are many people including me or you as well, who are often shamed about their body or their skin tone by others. It feels disgusting and makes one feel inferior about themselves to a very log extent. We get this feeling of not being beautiful and not being perfect and there is always comparison that runs in the mind, low self-esteem while looking yourself in the mirror, and the constant doubt of why am I not good enough? This race of being perfectly beautiful takes a toll on mental health because the thought of not being good enough is screwed in one’s mind and these people are never able to perceive themselves as being beautiful and confident.
The pressure placed on women to live up to expectations can frequently lead to mental health problems, usually due to low self-esteem, broken confidence, and bad body image. Constant sadness and negative self-talks are signs of lack of self-confidence. One of the most destructive types of elf sabotage is negative self-talk.
A negative body image might lead to restrictive eating patterns or ongoing dieting. Dieting and limited eating is good but only when it is done for staying fit and healthy, not for obsessing over the attaining a ‘perfect body type.’ Negative body image sufferers frequently over-work themselves and obsess over their weight. Hours are wasted agonizing over attaining perfection by watching online tutorials regarding various fitness regiments and diet lessons, as well as late night infomercials for products or techniques to get slim quickly, instead of accentuating all the wonderful and positive side of their bodies. But the reality is that you can become happier and healthier if you learn to control that unwanted voice and channel it towards a new admiration and respect for your body.
Studies have demonstrated that people may experience a higher quality of life and healthier physique when they have a more favorable perception of their bodies. According to Misti Gueron M.S., RDN, medical nutrition therapist at the Khalili Centre, ‘the researchers found that consistent motivation, self-efficacy, and self-regulation skills have emerged as great predictors of a favorable weight. For majority of individuals, accepting your body does not happen overnight. But the more you practice gratitude, the closer you get to accepting any flaws and viewing them as distinctive aspect of who you are.
One of the best ways to positive self-acceptance is self-love. What is self-love? In most simple terms it means to have an admiration, fondness, and simply loving yourself for who you are.
Self-love is very crucial because it gives more wings to our positive side while reducing the negative behavior. It installs in us the confidence to take up new things and say no to those that are not in alignment with us. Self-love helps one to reduce stress, increase self-esteem, and reduces all the negativity.
In today’s world, social media plays a very important role in everyone’s life. It is a very strong tool to influence the masses. Obviously, it has a strong impact on body image as well. Every coin has two different sides, similarly, social media also can have both positive and negative impact this issue. On one side, it can serve as a strong platform for promoting body positivity, but, on the other hand, it can also provide a platform for unrealistic beauty standards, and toxic comparisons. But, if used wisely, the focus can be laid to the positive angle and social media can be one of the best tools that can be used for awareness and spreading positive body image, self-love, and acceptance.
Digital media is a fantastic resource for assisting people in regaining their confidence. They may feel more at ease in front of the camera as a result. It might offer them chances to highlight their own special beauty. We must alter the way we talk about people if we are to assist them in developing self-confidence. We must re-visit the significance of respect. Because of the anonymity provided by the internet, people feel free to criticize the appearance of others and that is a very immoral and disrespectful thing to do. It is important that our digital spaces also mirror the basic societal principle of respect, which is otherwise upheld in real world, where a person would never utter harsh remarks to anyone. Diversity must be respected and valued, and our words and actions must reflect them as well.
Being confident in one’s own skin is a radical gesture of empowerment and self-acceptance for women. It questions the accepted social norms, redefines beauty, and exhorts people to embrace authenticity. Women contribute to the development of a positive environment by embracing their individual talents and rejecting unattainable ideals. It is time to recognize he beauty everyone possesses, regardless of the age, or size. Let us encourage each other to feel good about themselves and recognize the power that is gained from embracing one’s true self. Always remember, you do not need a certificate from anyone about how you look and how pretty you should be to fit in the typical beauty standard. You are beautiful just the way you are!
written by Gauri Pandey
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