The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve traveled and after many conversations with friends, I’ve learned just how incredibly impact and potentially toxic our environments are when it comes to self love. And when it comes to learning how to feel powerful in your own body, everyone wants to have a say. But today as I walked around the flea market in Paris, I was yet again reminded of how as a means to control women, we’ve been taught how to feel ANYTHING but powerful in our bodies. It’s time to change that narrative.
1. Walk Around Naked More
I’m guessing you didn’t think this was going to start here. And yet it’s something I always felt awkward doing. Kids don’t think twice about running in just their underwear because they haven’t been taught yet that they need to be ashamed of their bodies. It’s such a small shift amongst the many that I’ve noticed since I started getting intentional with taking care of myself and loving my body. But I’m not afraid of my own nakedness anymore.
If you can’t stand in a locked room alone, naked without wanting to hide your body from yourself, there’s a serious disconnect going on. And it’s probably not your fault. You’ve only heard about how much you should hate your body. You’ve probably been taught that if you didn’t look a certain way you wouldn’t be worthy of love. This could have been completely taught subconsciously btw but it’s a thing. If you want to start to feel powerful in your body, you have to begin to be comfortable with it in all forms. And that includes the clothing optional one.
2. Work Out For No Other Reason Than Feeling Good
Every time I deviate from weight lifting for a while, I remember what I love so much about it. IT MAKES ME FEEL POWERFUL. Does it burn the most calories? Hell no. But does it boost my spirits in all the ways when I realize I can move 160lbs of weight with my legs? ABSOLUTELY.
Many of us spend years trying to find the workout for us. We’re the little girl in the story trying porridge. We want the one that is just right. But sometimes the thing that is just right is the thing that feels good. It’s the thing that helps you feel powerful in your own body. No weight loss or calorie counting required. Just the love of smashing something out just for you. In case you forgot, you’re allowed to do things JUST FOR YOU. Whether you’re a mother, a daughter, a spouse or anything else, you don’t need to explain why you want to take care of yourself.
3. Embrace Your Shape – Curves Or none at all
I see a lot of friends who hate their body in clothes. But part of making that shift to feel powerful in your own body is learning to dress for YOUR body type. Does that mean that you can’t rock whatever the current trend is? Not at all! It just means you have to learn to make it work for you.
In the years since I started the blog, I’ve looked at more photos of myself than I can count. And it’s inevitably taught me a lot about the difference a slightly higher waist on pants or more fitted jacket make on my body. I can shoot 6 blog posts in a day only to have one outfit where I think: I don’t really look like that do I? I feel my most powerful when I’m embracing my shape and dressing for it.
4. Unfollow The People Who Make You Feel Like Sh*T
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve thrown this in a blog post but it’s a needed reminder. Yes, you should follow people who inspire you to live your best life. You need people who encourage you to reach for more. But if you’re already struggling to feel powerful in your own body, having a feed full of people’s body type & fashion style isn’t like your is probably not helping.
If you’re a fabulously pear shaped female or someone rocking the athletic body but you only follow fashion bloggers with Kardashian curves, you’re going to be constantly disappointed. What they are wearing won’t look the same on you and you’re setting yourself up to hate yourself! Yes, you can make tweaks to adjust things for your body type. But if you’re constantly feeling like sh*t, it’s time to hide some people from your timeline.
5. REMEMBER IT’S YOUR BODY
I don’t think I realized how disconnected I was with my body until earlier this year. I’d lived with this idea that I had no control over anything and just had to accept what I was given for so long. Friend, DON’T BELIEVE THE LIE. Your body is YOURS. If you want to shape it to look a certain way, you do you boo. Part of project dream body is me going after something I’ve always wanted in my life. But if you want to feel powerful in your own body, you have to stop just accepting things as they are and be willing to change.
You don’t always have to be tired. You don’t always have to be sick. And you are definitely allowed to create a healthy lifestyle that involves more than fast food regularly. But you have to decide you’re worth making those changes for. It’s your body. It’s your choice. You can politely decline the foods that don’t serve you. Remember, it’s okay to use the word NO often.
Wherever you’re at in your journey for loving yourself, I hope today’s post helped you. I know that it’s not always the easiest when it feels like the world is sending you message after message that you aren’t enough. But believe me friend: You will always be enough. And it’s time you learned to feel powerful in the beautiful body you’ve been given.
What about you? Have there been any turning points that made you feel more powerful in your body? I’d love to hear from you and where you’re at in your journey! Be sure to leave me a comment below and let me know. And feel free to share this post with someone you think it might inspire. Until next time. Xoxo, Savvy
