Body Confidence: An Open Letter To Anyone Who Needs It

Dear whoever you may be, 

Lovely to see you here! This may be your first time on my blog (if so, welcome, make yourself feel at home). I might not know you personally or have never seen you before, but let me start off by saying I think you're beautiful. I don't need to know you or see you to tell you that. Isn't it so insane that we're some of the lucky few bought onto this earth, with this machine called a "body" we use to get on with our daily lives and do so many things? That in itself is pretty beautiful. But, if you're here, you might be someone like me, who sometimes feels the complete opposite of beautiful. There a days when I'm in my favourite clothes or done my eyeliner really well and I think, "yes look at you, you absolute queen" - but there are equally days when I look in the mirror and just think "ew". I think there are always going to be days when I don't feel myself, and if you're having one of those days, I have a few things I'd like you to hear...

I'm gonna warn you now, I don't quite know where this is going. Pure stream of consciousness. Let's hope it turns out semi-decent.

First of all, I'm no expert in being super confident OR giving advice - I'm a pretty big introvert who can usually offer hugs at best. But I did want to write this because I've just come back from a lovely holiday in Lanzarote, wore a bikini in public, and *gasps* felt good about myself? I know I have legs that jiggle a bit when I walk, and my tummy is sometimes quite telling of the amount of biscuits and cheese I eat, but actually, that's okay!

We are surrounded by all different kinds of media and advertising, and so presented with an ideal body type which we're made to desire, no matter how old we are. Many sorts of magazines - men's and women's - adverts, models on clothing websites and so many more media outlets are often guilty of using slim-jim models to sell their products because it might trick us into believing if we buy it, we'll look like that, or we'll learn to look like that. But when did we decide that was the ideal body type? When did we stop loving what we have been gifted and start aspiring for something often out of reach? It's often all completely false anyway - the magic of Photoshop! The key to me feeling confident in a bikini was my acceptance that I don't need to try to reach impossible standards; I should be happy to be a healthy girl.

Social media is also a culprit. It's easy to forget that on apps like Instagram, Facebook, etc etc, that people often use these sites to show off the best parts of their lives. I think most, if not all of us, are guilty of that. I'm a sensitive soul who cries at the littlest of things, but have I ever posted an Instagram pic of me balling my eyes out? Nope, because I want to show off when I'm happy, having fun, wearing a nice outfit or whatever. There's a flip side that's often not shown or forgotten about - not everyone is happy and looking outrageously good all the time. Once again, it's these impossible standards that we're pressured into believing we should reach or believing we should fit into. It's unhealthy and not even real.

While I'm a huge advocate of 'treat yo'self', especially when it comes to the biscuit tin, it's important to look after your body. Work out when you can, even if it's a quick YouTube-d jobby. Eat an apple instead of a choccie bar. Pamper yourself with a nice skincare routine if you can. But don't do this just to look wonderful on the outside - do it to be healthy and to feel wonderful as well as look it. And if you do feel the pressure from social media, why not take a break? Or if that is too much of a horrifying thought (don't worry, I get that), unfollow the accounts that are making you feel bad about yourself. Erase that toxicity and surround yourself with what makes you feel happy. 

So I suppose those are my tips, in a way? It's not completely groundbreaking, but something I think many of us need to hear sometimes. It's all about accepting yourself, and I think the best way of doing that is doing good things for yourself, your body and your mental health - not to pressure yourself into looking model-esque - but for you to feel good on the inside. The key to confidence is to feel good, not just look it. Remember, you were given this life to live it to the fullest you can - wouldn't it be sad to waste it curled up feeling grim all the time? You ARE beautiful, tell the world! 

Lots of love, 

Eleanor