We are all guilty of comparing ourselves to those around us. Whether it’s a girl on a magazine cover, an instagram fitness guru or a passer-by. If I had a penny for the number of times I have heard someone say “I want to look like…” I would be a millionaire. We all do it, myself included, without realising how this affects our own self-worth.
By constantly striving to look like someone else, you are setting yourself unrealistic expectations. In reality you probably can’t look like “her”, whoever she is. That is because you are you. No one else. You are built a certain way, whether thats with wider hips, a fuller chest or a more slender physique. Whatever your shape, you need to accept it. Otherwise you will never be satisfied.
Everywhere I look, women are treating their bodies poorly. They are critiquing them. They are picking them apart. They are torturing them with extreme workout regimes. They are depriving them with restrictive diets. This needs to stop.
Take a moment to look in the mirror. Really look in it. That right there, that’s your body. I am here to tell you, it is amazing. Your lungs allow you to breathe. Your heart pumps blood through your veins. Your muscles enable you to move. Your eyes allow you to see the world. Your legs carry you where you need to go. Your arms let you hug your loved ones. Your hands allow you to touch and feel. Your smile has the power to light up a room.
Think about it. Your body is so much more than a six pack or a thigh gap. Your body carries you through thick and thin. It is a living, breathing complex system which allows you to live. So stop abusing it, stop running it into the ground, stop taking advantage of it. Look after it. Nourish it with wholesome foods and move it with exercise you love. Do this because you care about your body, not because you hate it.
Release yourself from the negative cycle of comparison and self-deprication. Admire others. Take inspiration. But don’t compare. Love your body and look after it. After all, it’s the only one you’ve got.
Zanna xx
Photo: Active in Style
