Body of Work: Beyond body loathing
Talk of our bodies has always been on the agenda of global media and influencers, but it would seem now more than ever. What does it mean for us to show respect and love to our body even if imperfections bother us?
BODY OF WORK
Our bodies matter. We rely on them to regulate multiple vital functions at any one moment, fight harmful situations and even express our emotions. Naturally, not every aspect of our body is the same as the next person’s or even has the same capabilities.
Pretending that our bodies don’t impact our soul (the mind, will and emotions) is short-sighted. We all have times where, even when we muster our most body-positive attitude, we expend a great amount of energy attempting to change how we look, cover our body, optimise it or feel down and disappointed with it.
Billions are spent on fashion, beauty and wellness industries, often with the goal of improving or aiming to become comfortable with the body we have.
In some cases, our bodies feel like they’re working against us, going beyond vanity and into the realm of health. Due to conditions and autoimmune diseases, we can even become restricted in how much we can do some of the things we enjoy.
CHANGING THE RECORD
This month, artist Lizzo came under fire for an ableist slur featured in her latest track. The backlash came through thick and fast on social media from many disability advocates.
Lizzo subsequently made the bold move to quickly rewrite the lyric and issued a public apology for her unintentional action.
She was rightly praised by many for listening and learning, but in a perfectionist society that idolises external beauty, we seem to be good at tackling issues of ableism and body loathing publicly, but not so much with ourselves, privately.
Perhaps we don’t openly complain or share details with others of the dissatisfactions we have with the way we look or a particular feature we desperately wish we could alter, but our internal monologue can still be awash with negativity.
Where body positivity finds itself in the spotlight, it can also offer us some help personally. Rather than gazing over airbrushed perfection or only seeing high fashion models when we scroll, we get to see women who have learned to love their bodies despite whether or not they fit a desired stereotype.
Lizzo herself is a champion of beauty at every size, while supermodel Ashley Graham has led the way in fearlessly speaking about her body hang-ups and cellulite, yet choosing to love them the best she can.
Given the social climate we live in, many brands are working harder on matters of size, skin tone and sustainability, with front runners like SKIMS and Fenty Beauty setting a new standard for others to follow.
Though at one time it may have been easy to blame unrealistic beauty ideals, there is much greater representation being worked on from a once one-size-fits-all industry.
There comes a time when we have to go beyond the voice of present culture and look into the mirror.
LEARNING TO LOVE
Have we become too focused on upgrading our bodies to the detriment of even our contentment and gratitude for the body we have?
In The Bible, there is a poetic verse that describes the way God created each of us, ‘You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvellous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.’ (Psalm 139:13-15, NLT).
God thought our bodies were worthy of His time, irrespective of the reality or our attitude to ours.
We may not love every aspect of our body, but perhaps there is another way to take care of and be grateful for the body we have, rather than striving for something more 'refined' or different?
Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson when being asked what she’d say to her fourteen-year-old self recently said, ‘Don’t waste your time. Don’t waste your life’s purpose worrying about your body'.
Being told to love and respect the vessel we live in is good to hear, but often isn’t enough to change our view. For most of us, many years of wishing or working on a part of our body to change is something that can be difficult to shift from.
Looking to faith in God for help poses the opportunity to see what He has given to us in a new light, one of acceptance that leads to increased peace.
FOCUSING ON THE GOOD
Faith often highlights the importance of stewarding what we have well - whether that be our finances, the environment, or our relationships. In the same way, we can nourish and make the best of the skin we’re in by looking after ourselves mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally.
We can appreciate the intelligence of the design behind the female body. The body’s propensity to heal, grow and change throughout our lifetime is something worth celebrating.
Although not a quick fix, we can make some practical steps towards paying attention to what makes us feel good. Maybe it’s wearing a certain colour, moving our body in a particular way, or implementing a new skincare routine. Looking for ways to do the best with what we have has a positive knock-on effect on our mental wellbeing, too.
Spending time on more things that matter that transcend our age, beauty, or shifting fashion trends, we position ourselves to put less focus on what we dislike about our body and experience greater satisfaction and gratitude for what we do have.
WORDS BY
Rachel Calland
