Yesterday I was at the gym feeling sorry for myself that Ive let go of my health and feeling slightly ashamed of my body in my gym clothes, but then, literally, the term self-objectification came into my mind and I was able to create a mental shift! My self talk turned to positive messages about how awesome it felt to be at the gym taking care of my hard working body -- my tool for going out in the world and doing good. Thank you thank you for bringing media literacy to us in palatable terms and teaching us and our girls (and boys) how to see ourselves authentically. This comment on one of our recent posts made us so happy. Every one of us should reflect on what impact narrow beauty ideals have had on our lives. Our culture relies heavily on objectification – or presenting women as idealized body parts rather than as humans – in all types of media and social media. This leads many of us to self-objectify by constantly – and often unconsciously – monitoring our bodies for what they look like to others. This preoccupation with what we look like, even when we’re alone, leads to feelings of low self-worth and harmful ways of coping like disordered eating, opting out of social activities and exercise, self-harm, and dangerous and expensive cosmetic surgery. Combat this by taking inventory of your beauty habits and routine, including the time, energy and money you spend on your appearance. Reflect on whether any of that time, effort, or money could be better spent on another activity or contribution to the world. Consider where your thoughts are as you go about your regular life: are you picturing what you look like while trying to exercise or grocery shop or sit in class? Reflect on the fact that your body is an instrument for your use -- not an ornament for others to admire. Youre not a decoration, dangit! How would life be different if thinking about appearance didn’t take up so much of our mental bandwidth? This is Step #2 of our Five Steps to Better Body Image. Try the others!
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 17:20:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015