It’s that time of the year again- Summer; a season associated with sunshine, happiness, and travelling. If you’re like me and living in Ireland, or another rainy part of the world, the sunshine might be a rare sighting. It’s easy to get disheartened if you’re stuck indoors a lot, then on top of that bombarded with pictures of people posing on the beach in their new bikini’s with their ideal bodies as if there’s an online competition for the best beach body going on that you never even asked to be a part of. (*Insert sigh here)

Isn’t it great that they have the confidence to post these pictures? That they’re comfortable enough in their skin to share it with the world? Shouldn’t its purpose be to make you feel happy for them instead of making you judge yourself on a comparative scale you never knew existed?

^It’s tough when Instagram pics help thoughts like these spiral out of control. But no matter how much you want to believe it, nobody has an easy relationship with their body. And, yes, even the girl who just posted twenty beautifully heartbreaking selfies in one day is probably struggling somehow.

I’ve been listening to a lot of different podcasts lately, and one that stood out was Roz Purcell’s ‘Bite Back’. As well as sharing her own journey through a difficult relationship with food and her body, she also talks to other people about their personal struggles with their bodies. It’s opened my eyes to our society’s hyper-focus on appearances alongside the tendencies to glorify weight loss, and ignore the toxic messages this can illuminate.

Something that was discussed, is our tendency to treat our body like it’s an enemy.

This might be choosing to exercise when you’d rather sleep: pushing your body to a state of exhaustion.

It could be taking up a new ‘diet’; limiting your food intake, even though you’re still hungry and never fully satisfied.

Binging with food or alcohol as a way of dealing with emotions. This then can lead to feelings of guilt and anger towards ourselves and our body.

Something particularly powerful, and often underrated, is how we talk about our bodies:  I recently discussed this with a co-worker, who recalled a time where she lost a lot of weight due to an illness, and received many compliments for her appearance, even though she felt worse than ever before.

So, what does all of this mean?

Of course, it’s important to be conscious of our eating patterns and how active we are. At the end of the day, our health is so important. A lot of society nowadays (and of course I’m guilty of it too) have become self-obsessed and focused on how we look. In a world where people visit tourist attractions and pubs solely for the purpose of a decent Instagram pic, how couldn’t we be so self-aware??

But don’t depend on likes for happiness and security.

It’s easy to fall into this toxic trap of rating how popular you are based on the amount of followers you have, or how pretty you are depending on how many likes your pictures receive, or how skinny you are through comparing your body’s appearance to another. But, none of this should be the case. Sometimes a breather from social media platforms can be the best remedy. Or realising that you can control who you follow and what you look at on Instagram.

Be kind to your body, it’s working to keep you healthy

Look at your body as a best friend. When you’re sick, it fights to help you. You should look after it too. Your body is something you live with for the rest of your life. Treat it kindly and fill it with love and attention. Exercise to release endorphins and make yourself feel better, not to force your body to change. Rest when you need it, sleep is vital for a healthy happy life. Look at food as something that gives your body strength and nourishment. Your health really is your wealth.

There’s no right or wrong guide to follow. Just make sure to be kind to your body so you can be kind to yourself 🙂

Over and out

-Saoirse