As I enter my mid-30s I’ve noticed I have a lot more peace with my body and also my body image is less negative and some days it’s actually very positive.
Don’t get me wrong, I still have plenty of bad days where I’m hyper critical of myself, but I am aware of the pattern. The negative thoughts are very closely related to my hormones and often raise their ugly heads when I’ve not been looking after myself (lack of sleep, overdoing it or having a bit of a tough time). Being more conscious of this means I’m able to be less tied to them and they act as a bit of a red flag that I need to step up the kindness level to myself – take time out, pamper, relax, nourish rightly and do any of those items I know will help me reclaim some of that balance.
I’m also aware I need to take better care of myself, especially in the lead up to trying to and hopefully becoming a mum – physically as well as mentally and emotionally. I want to be a role model for my children, nieces and nephews in how I treat myself as well as how I treat and talk about myself. I believe having and fostering a positive body image will play a large part of being an accountable role model and one that will pass and share the right type of values with those precious little people in my lives.
When I saw this image Taryn Brumfitt shared, I thought what a brave move sharing an example of the ‘perfect’ body i.e. toned, tanned & sleek, next to a softer, curvier version of herself. I don’t think I would have that same sort of courage, maybe I will after I’ve had kids, maybe I won’t – but that’s for another post!
The photo sparked my interest and I delved a little deeper in to her journey and background. What I found was a woman who is certainly courageous. However, she is not only a woman of courage, she is an agent for change – specifically aiming to change the way women view their bodies.
Since her photo was shared last year, Taryn has created the Body Image Movement project and dedicates her time to speaking and writing about body love.
Taryn asked 100 women to describe their body in one word, and here are few examples of what those women said:
Wobbly
imperfect
stumpy
short
frumpy
disgusting
I am sure you can imagine saying these types of words about your own body or this might be how your friends, sisters, mothers, aunts, cousins, colleagues or any woman in your community would describe themselves too.
Well, Taryn is aiming to help eradicate those types of words by the creation of a documentary called ‘Embrace’.
A beautiful movement with a beautiful message xo
