5 Feel-Good, Non-BS Mantras to Get You Through Those Summer Body Woes
Good afternoon, babes! Hope you’re having an amazing week, and soaking up some sunshine. Hubby & I just moved into our new place in the ‘burbs yesterday, and we’re already loving the simplicity and quiet. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore Boston, but I’m definitely a country gal at heart 😉
Anyway, I wanted to let you in on a little secret over here: I used to absolutely hate my body, in particular my “fat thighs.” I was super self-conscious to the extent that I wouldn’t wear jeans or shorts, let alone be caught dead exposed in a bathing suit. Trust me, I had the worst tan lines!
By focusing on what I hated about my body, my mind was filled with negative thoughts like “I am not good enough,” “If only I could have her body” and “Once I lose some weight and that thigh jiggle, maybe then I’ll be happy.”
Newsflash: those thoughts got me no where.
Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of negative bod talk stemming from the whole “bikini body” goals. It’s all over the place on social media, tabloids, magazines, and blog posts shouting at us ladies that THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD LOOK LIKE! THIS IS WHAT’S CONSIDERED BEAUTIFUL! THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO MAKE YOUR BODY LOOK LIKE THIS! LOOK AT MY BODY! DO THESE THINGS AND THEN YOU’LL LOOK GOOD ENOUGH TO WEAR A BIKINI ON THE BEACH! THE WAY YOUR BODY LOOKS IS WHAT DEFINES YOU!
Pretty negative shit, huh?
When I was on my journey through overcoming food fear & body hate, these kinds of messages from the media were super triggering for me. They made me feel small, fat, and hopeless. The more I compared, the more I hated my body and wanted to be like someone else.
It wasn’t until I looked within that things started to shift for me, and 99% of that had to do with my mindset.
Been there? Here are 5 non-bs mantras to help shift your mindset from negative to self-love next time your feeling that summertime sadness.
1. (SELF)LOVE WINS.
I choose to love + honor myself exactly where I am right now. After all, self-love is the most powerful kind o’ love.
2. MY BODY IS MY BODY & SHE IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL + MIRACULOUS.
It is not her body, it is my body. Sometimes my thighs jiggle when I run, and my arms don’t look like that woman’s in the magazine. But it is my own and does magical things for me; I love her for that.
3. WHEN I FEEL GOOD INSIDE, I SEND POSITIVE VIBES OUT INTO THE UNIVERSE.
I choose to focus on the good as best I can, and send those positive thoughts out into the world. (And you bet that comes right back at ya! Karma, baby.)
4. I MOVE IN THE WAY THAT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD + DANCE TO MY OWN SONG.
I choose to do the things that light me up inside, rather than focus on the number of calories burned, how “hard” a workout is or what that other girl is doing. If it feels miserable, it aint worth it.
5. EFF THE NUMBER ON THE SCALE.
Seriously, that sh*t doesn’t mean a thing, and it’s about darn time I quit obsessing. Rather than spending my time counting calories and weighing in, I choose to do the things I love. Happiness trumps that silly number any day.
Do you struggle with body confidence? What do you do to keep your thoughts positive?
xoxo,
Rachel
