Have we ever thought about how frequently we have been told to change our looks? Body shaming is the act or practice of humiliating a person based on their body type by making critical or mocking statements about their body shape and size.
Irrespective of whether the person was mocked out of complete innocence, it can negatively affect a person's mental and physical health. Body shaming and bullying affects people of all ages. Speaking of which, this only makes me think- why is body shaming so common if it has such severe ramifications?
Amongst all this, social media plays a significant role in how one feels about oneself. Teenagers come across images and videos of several influencers whose features are considered the "ideal" ones. What came to me as a surprise was that not only do teenagers criticize each other based on beauty/body standards, so do adults. As we age, we go through natural changes, which is not easy to get accustomed to but self-rejection due to what people say causes social anxiety, depression and eating disorders. We start feeling like we do not belong to a certain place because people do not accept us and like us for who we are.
We are allowed to be masterpieces and a work in progress, so why not look at some ways to accept and love ourselves for who we are? If you ever go through body shaming, remember to stay true to yourself. Becoming more self-accepting necessitates that we value ourselves and know that we are not to blame for anything people say about us. Start by doing something that makes you feel good about yourself like practicing gratitude for your body, exercising to fight your phobia, expressing yourself and trying to go outside your comfort zones. If none of this helps, do not hesitate to approach a professional.
''Your greatest responsibility is to love yourself and to know you are enough.'' So be proud of who you are and not ashamed of how someone sees you.
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