Social media & how we see ourselves:

Beginning my new series for Mental Health awareness week (18th May 2020) I've decided to discuss the issue of social media and body image; self-esteem etc first. It feels far more prevalent now than ever before and I feel like this issue really takes a back seat in most, if not everyone's minds- it's mainly all done subconsciously, so you probably aren't even aware when it's happening but it shows in many different ways. It may seem ironic if I go on to state how awful social media is whilst posting this on social media platforms but we all know, just like everything in life ,social media comes with both good and bad and as hard as it is in today's ever growing society, it really is up to you what you take in and what you decide to view etc. As awful as it may seem these platforms do not profit from you being happy in your own skin- any beauty business, clothing brands anything like that.. will profit off of you feeling inadequate and wanting to fulfill this hole; let me tell you the hole you're trying to fill is a mass black void and no matter how many clothes you own, how gorgeous your face now may be, because you look like that girl off Instagram, you can and most likely will, still feel miserable if you do not find happiness within first. 

It's staggering that in a world where the highest death-rate for mental health is now linked with body image (eating disorders etc.) it is such a silent killer and it is not spoken about enough! It is not healthy to believe that you need to look a certain way in order to feel happy or to gain validation- with the influencer scene now being bigger than ever I can relate and i'm sure most of you can too, to the silent scroll through Instagram just before bed, the quiet voice as you pass pictures upon pictures, that tells you "oh I wish my stomach was like that, I'll start exercising tomorrow" or "why do they look that way and I look this way" or sometimes you don't even think these things but a few days later in the mirror you'll notice something about yourself and you compare - it is this comparison - this competition, that will have, and is having the most lasting and tragic affect on society at the minute. The more we scroll the more we forget what normal is, how your skin does not always have to be clear, how you sometimes wear unwashed clothes, how one of your boobs is bigger than the other, how 9 times out of 10 you forget to shave anything on your body at all! The guilt that rushes through us when we see somebody else sticking to a gym plan and eating fucking oats and Greek pissing yogurt every day whilst you've just had your 3rd packet of crisps and feel like you'll never be like them, it has to stop- someones beauty or talent does not mean an absence of your own. 

This environment we have created now means that 'beauty standards' are even more harsh- which therefore creates a platform where judging becomes even more harsh too. We live in a world where somebody looking different or not fitting to these 'standards' means they're automatically considered to not be beautiful. I will admit I've done this myself, I've judged myself and I've judged other people for not fitting to these ideals - without understanding that we are more than what is on the outside- so much more. The way you talk about yourself and others matters-  words carry energy and if that energy is negative your body understands this; it is so hard to distinguish between a thought and what is the truth but you need to train your mind to understand that not every passing thought you have is a true one. We can not be 'perfect' so it is quite frankly pointless to strive for whatever you believe perfect is. Embrace your beauty, embrace your differences- if the way you look is having the most negative affect on your mental health and you can not stand to look at yourself anymore and if you want to do something to change this then do it- if you don't and you know you can learn to love yourself just as you are without anybodies validation then do that! It is nobodies business but your own- do whatever makes you feel best about yourself, but do not ever compare your own beauty to others. 

Take time away from social media, remind yourself that we're all conditioned now to show the best sides to our lives- who on the internet is going to appreciate a selfie as soon as you've woken up? Understand this idea and learn to appreciate yourself- faults and all that. Pick out the things you like about yourself rather than the things you despise (and down the line eventually learn how to love those things too) Compliment and be proud of others without feeling like a failure yourself. Take care of your body and your mind- unfollow anybody or anything that you think brings negativity energy into your life. Finally, I want you to understand that, even though we may have lost the point somewhere down the line and we seem to have become obsessed and defined by the way we look, it is not what's on the outside that defines you- if you're beautiful on the inside it shows on the outside. 

We're all beautiful in different ways. x