Body neutrality?
Body positivity is everywhere these days. From the shows we watch, TikTok’s/instagram, and even down to the stores we shop in. I’ll been personally known to preach body positivity and loving yourself! What happens on the days you might not be feeling so positive? The days we just can’t muster up the good vibes. What if there was another way of thinking. Another way to love yourself without the guilt on the days your just not feeling it. Changing the mindset and loving yourself without the constraints of your exterior image? It’s body neutrality.
What is it?
Body neutrality is all about accepting yourself without the judgment of your exterior. On one end of the spectrum we have shame, not having your favorite celebs body, nails, or hair. The other end of the spectrum we have positivity, unapologetically loving everything about yourself. Neither of which are sustainable long term. So wheres the middle ground.? Body neutrality focuses on being grateful and accepting of what your body does for you instead of how your body looks. Inevitably we are all going to have those days where we just don’t love the skin we are in. Practicing body neutrality allows you to have those feelings but also remember what it is your body’s done or what it does for you.
Personal experience
As most of you know or even how you found this blog, I am the owner of Cactus Creek Boutique. I am a one woman show (as are most small businesses) from inventory, accounting, marketing, web design etc. I am the face of Cactus Creek Boutique, yet there is still one thing even in the three whole years I have been in the forefront that I have a hard time with. Photo day and lives. I am a c-section mama with a shelf, I’ve always had thick thighs and cellulite, don’t even get me started on the booty that just keeps growing. I have the absolute best group members and following who hype me up and give me a confidence boost, but some days I just still have a hard time loving my body. I’ve been working on body neutrality for a while now, it’s helped me change my mindset tremendously. I may be a mama with a c-section shelf but I grew a human! My thick thighs and cellulite make it hard for me to love myself in shorts, but my legs are strong! They let me walk and run and play with my daughter! So even on those days when I’m just not feeling #hotmomsummer I’m grateful for what my body’s done for me and where it’s going!
How do I change my mindset to body neutrality?
Changing your mind set is never something that changes over night and it’s something that takes constant work! You don’t just get there then cruise in this mind set it takes actively practicing to really get the true effect of mindset change. Put yourself in this position: your at your favorite clothing store, grab some really cute items and head to the dressing room. You start trying on some of the items in your usual size and something’s not quite right, it’s a little tight here or short there, a little too baggy or too long. Something inside our subconscious triggers back to all the things we see in our culture and we start having bad feelings about our body. We have all been there and at some point felt these feelings. The first thing you have to remember is there is no universal small, universal 3x. No two designers use the exact same measurements to determine their sizing. You may be a large in one brand and a 1x in another. There’s no standard of sizing in the fashion world. Try sizing up or down to the next size so your more comfortable. Asking yourself could I sit in this size or would I feel more comfortable in the next size instead of focusing on the actual size on the tag. The second thing you need to do is breath! Taking some deep breaths clearing your mind and just bringing yourself back to the moment instead of spiraling (I’ve been there I’ve spiraled it’s not a headspace you want to be in). The third thing you need to do is ask yourself “what’s my body done for me today?” Even if the answer is simple. Reminding yourself that your body and function is important is the key the body neutrality.
Body neutrality mindset is not the fix all answer, but it will certainly ease the burden of body positivity on days when you don’t feel that positive and give you another way of thinking from body shame. Knowing your going to have good and bad days and actively practicing body neutrality will ease the burden and social constraints of “beauty” and “body image”. You have to remember that your favorite celebrities and instagram influencers have a team of people who work on their social images, from editing photos and videos to what they say and promote to you. You are a real person, your body’s yours, it’s been with you through your whole story, loving it for what it’s done for you instead of how it looks is body neutrality. This mindset has really helped me through a lot of ups and downs in the past year and I can’t wait to hear how you implement this in your life and change the mindset!