Fad diets, begone! Simple self-love tips to get your mind beach-ready
Say no to fad diets and instead, follow our self-love rituals to see out the summer with confidence...
Image: Monday Swimwear
The only secret to getting ‘beach body-ready’ is physically taking your body to the beach. But for many of us, it isn’t always that easy. In the grand scheme of things – the past few weeks have undoubtedly been the wake-up call to end all wake-up calls – we know that feeling nervous about donning a small piece of lycra is pretty low on the scale. Still, that doesn’t cancel out nor diminish the anxiety anyone who suffers from low self-esteem will experience as they slip into their swimsuit for the first time and head for the sand—albeit this year, on the chilly Scottish coast.
From a young age, we’re led to believe that how we look is overwhelmingly important—that we should place our appearance as one of our highest priorities, and that we need to do our best to conform to what it is that ‘society’ deems ‘desirable’. As such, the vast majority of women have a genuine fear of the beach or the pool. We cover ourselves and avoid posing for photographs all because, after being made to feel inadequate, we cannot bear the way we look. To those women we say you are enough, you are beautiful, and your body is beach-worthy—the only thing holding you back is your mindset.
‘Your beach experience is all about rewarding your body and mind in the sun by enjoying the rays, the sounds and swimming in the sea’, says Rosalind Main, a body inclusivity activist and co-founder of the @iam_more_than Instagram account. ‘You shouldn’t let any doubts in your head stop you from enjoying the summer because those negative thoughts aren’t worth you not enjoying yourself’. @iam_more_than’s co-founder Morgan Mctiernan agrees. ‘It can be very daunting, nerve-racking, and intimidating, going to the beach. You may think others are judging you but, in reality, you’re only judging yourself. Instead of thinking negatively, I encourage myself to enjoy being in the moment. To feel wonderful sitting in the sand and going in for a swim. It’s therapeutic, and unwanted thoughts about my body aren’t going to stop me from embracing the moment.’
Image: Monday Swimwear
Following Morgan and Rosalind’s leads, we’re saying a firm no to diet culture and excessive exercise where the goal is to fit your body to some predetermined mould. Instead, what we need to focus on is championing self-love. Let’s celebrate who we are and what we have to offer, rather than how we look in a cozzie. Because when we feel good about ourselves, it changes our self-perception and the perception others have of us, too. Ahead of that strut down the beach at Portobello, Largs, or Ayr, here’s how to get your mind in check.
Confidence brings a renewed appreciation of how we look—and thus, we automatically appear more attractive. Shift the focus on what you don’t like about your body to what you do; if you like your legs, wear clothes that make you feel even better about them, then channel that confidence-boost into self- love. The same applies to swimwear. Hone in on the asset you like most about yourself, and let any other reservations melt away. While this is in no way with regards to how your body looks, filling your stomach with food that is nourishing and good for you will go lengths to improving your mental wellbeing, too. Just because someone is skinny, it doesn’t necessarily mean they eat healthily. Make being healthy your priority, and your mindset will thank you for it.
Have a reality check. In our heads, we imagine everyone at the beach will have honed physiques and bronzed skin, but that’s simply not the case—and thank goodness for that! The fact is, the average woman in the UK is a healthy size 16 with a 36DD cup size. Real bodies are wonderful, and we all need to see them instead of the posed Instagram pictures we’ve become desensitised to. Changing up who you follow on Instagram will also do wonders; we recommend following people like @calliethorpe, @nicoleocran, @musingsofacurvylady, @daniellevanier, @alexlight_ldn, @inmysundaybest, and @danaemercer, to name but a few, who champion self-love and radiate positivity with every post.
Look for fulfilment in other areas of your life, and give them the attention they deserve. You are a smart, beautiful, and accomplished woman! Focus on what you’ve achieved, be it in work, family, friends or relationships. You are always worth more than what you weigh or the size it says on a label. The real secret is that the perfect bikini body doesn’t even exist. But you do. You exist, and you deserve to be in this space, just as you are.