Body Confidence & Social Media

Body confidence isn’t something which I am always the most open about, particularly when it comes to my own body. I think from the outside looking in, most people would say my confidence must be sky high! But the truth is its one of my biggest day-to-day battles. 

With social media being the way it is these days, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in the idea of ‘perfection’. It can be all consuming! And I will always be the first one to put my hand up and say I can become completely sucked into the fictitious world portrayed through instagram. It can be such a toxic place when looked at through rose tinted glasses. But it’s so important to understand that images are literally a snap shot of a moment in someone’s life and could never fully represent a person’s existence entirely. It’s a second. Most likely heavily edited and orchestrated in a way to enhance perception. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t use it as a source of inspiration or creativity. I love social media! It has the power to enable anyone to build an incredible platform for themselves, allowing them to express their own creativity. But like everything, it needs to be taken with a pinch of salt!
I guess what I’m trying to say, is that it’s important to be able to understand the difference between what’s real and what’s not. This for me has had such a massive impact on how I look at myself and how I feel in my own skin. It’s no secret that the popularity of social media icons which portray these idealistic lifestyles and body images has massively impacted the way us ‘normal’ men and women perceive our bodies. It is almost impossible not to compare yourself to these people. But through my own willing mindfulness, I have started to look at the world of social media differently. 
Now, every post or image I see that has been generated from either a brand or public figure, I automatically assume is created for indirect advertising. Most posts you see are compiled in a way to sell something! This could be; makeup, clothing, skin care products. Literally, anything! These posts are usually so heavily altered that they can often be incomparable to the original image. We frequently accept that what we see in TV adverts or in magazines is completely unobtainable because we know how processed the images are. But the casualness of social media seems to make us forget that what we are looking at most of the time isn’t real life. Next time you see a post from your favourite celebrity or makeup brand, think to yourself, am I being sold too? Allowing myself to look at social media this way has massively helped me to change how I perceive myself. 
So, how do we move forward from this realisation? How can this make us think more positively about ourselves? It’s all in our perspective. How can you possibly compare yourself to something which isn’t even real?! Its nuts! 
One of the biggest personal changes I have made is only following those which reject the idea of heavily edited images and promote a positive body image. I love those influencers and brands which allow imperfections in their images to remain and don’t give in to the insane beauty standards set by much larger companies. Enhancing an image is one thing, but completely changing the way someone looks is totally different! I’m going to list some of my favourite bloggers and influencers below, so you can go over and have a little look! These for me are a selection of really inspiring women that truly represent what it means to be comfortable in your own skin!

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@alicesjackson