Improving Our Body Image

Photo by Rodnae Productions on Pexels

The sun is out and our buns are out! For July, we are focusing on improving our body image. As the temperatures rise, our confidence should too. Now in the middle of summer, we’re (well we should be) wearing sleeveless shirts, bathing suits, shorts – the less clothing the better. 

But, if you’re like most women out there, you might struggle with the summer months because we’re showing more of ourselves and our true bodies. We are constantly admonishing ourselves for not starting that snatched, hot girl diet sooner. Or spending hundreds of dollars on the perfect bathing suits that perfectly hide our insecurities. Or also common, we’d rather be uncomfortable in long sleeves or a jacket on a hot summer day than show our arms in a tank top. 

Let’s start with these three areas of body image improvement, with help from our WISe Wellness Guild partners and other reliable resources. 

On Social Media

An internal Instagram presentation seen by the Journal said that when 32% of teenage girls “felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse.” If you have and frequently use social media, you might very well be guilty of whitening your teeth, or tightening your body with shape shifting apps in an image before uploading to Instagram. What if starting now, we post the original? What would come if our favorite social media influencers started posting pictures of their arms, un-thinned?  Would we feel more inclined to post our authentic selves if so? 

If your feeds are full of small bodies that feel unrelatable, try filling your feed with real women bodies. Here are some accounts to start with:

• Mik Zazon 
• Lizzo Beating 
• Gabby Male

At the Pool 

According to Grazia, A third of adults In Britain haven’t been swimming in a decade because of body image issues. So good news – this is not an isolated issue if you’re feeling nervous for that pool day you’ve got planned with friends. 

After purchasing a bathing suit that works for you, not against you, and maybe some fun accessories to go with it, practice around your house. Get comfortable wearing your bikini, one piece or tankini before showing it off in front of group. 

And if you don’t think practice makes perfect, lean on experts from Anchor Wellness who tell us, our bodies aren’t the problem, but diet culture is. Learn more about Anchor Wellness on the WISe Marketplace here.

In Photos

A big trigger for many women is taking an unflattering photo. You might ask yourself, “Is that what I really look like?” after viewing the group photo where you look 7 sizes bigger than what your pant size actually reports. 

Instead of opting out of getting in the photo, learn how to pose so you're happy with the results. 

Bobbie Rodriguez, Miami-based photographer, gives us the 101 here.

But if you’re searching for body peace with the guidance of experts, Galia Collaborative has several providers specially trained when it comes to eating disorders and body dysmorphia. 

Photo by Antoni Shkraba on Pexels

Join us on Instagram at @wise_wellness_guild where we'll dive into conversations about body image all month. 

Sign up for our newsletter for weekly wellness you can trust.