Paths to Self-Celebration: #BodyPositivity and #BodyNeutrality
Growing up in the millennial era, where social media has played both a blessing and a curse, I’ve faced challenges to love who I am. During my teen years, I experienced cyberbullying and the harsh critiques from my family calling me “gordita,” and comparing me to my primas. My self-concept was severely tangled with the media’s portrayal of beauty standards, and seeking external validation was ingrained at my core.
Why We Care: My Path to Body Image Healing
The struggle of self-acceptance has been a constant in my life. In conversations with my dad, I've expressed how deeply his words cemented negative beliefs about myself — from avoiding photographs to shying away from my own reflection. He dismisses my feelings with responses like, “dejar de decir eso,” y “ estas mal de la cabeza.” Today, I recognize the damage done by neglecting self-love. I’ve decided to work on repairing the relationship with my self image and who I am. I care because I know how much it hurts to not be able to look at yourself in the mirror. I get it. And being told, “ Oh, just love yourself,” is not as easy as 1, 2, 3. I and the team at Cora Health, we know how hard it can be, and we believe in sharing these tools to help you feel empowered to find your way to self-love and self-celebration. Let’s start this healing together. 💕
Embracing Your Body: Two Routes to Self- Acceptance
The Short Of It
What are Body Positivity and Body Neutrality? It can be confusing navigating between these two movements you might be seeing on social media. Both are body movements for self-acceptance and both have their pros as well as their toxic traits. What matters to us at Cora Health is understanding how they may support our journey towards well-being.
The Deeper Dive
Body Positivity says to always love your body image unconditionally. This movement has always told me to love my body for its aesthetics, regardless of whether I fit into what society deems "beautiful." Encouraging yourself with affirmations like, “I love my nose!” Yet, the perfection we see on social media and influencers pushing this message, I sometimes feel the pressure that I have to love every bit everyday, even if I don’t feel it. The weight of Body Positivity can make me feel as if I am failing if I don’t wake up loving every inch of me.
“I love my beautiful body, lines, marks, curves and all.”
“I love my legs, cellulite y todo.”
Body Neutrality says it is okay not to love your body image unconditionally. It says it doesn’t matter, because your value is not a function of how you look. It steps in with a different outlook, focusing on the value of your body for what it can do for you. It invites us to live without judgment of our looks or the constant need to evaluate it’s worth by our appearance. It frees me from the constant pressure of having to love every inch of myself. I no longer feel the need to wake up each morning forcing affirmations like "I love my nose today." If there are features I'm not particularly fond of, that's okay.
“I don’t love how I look today and that’s okay. I’m happy that I have arms so I can hug my friends.”
“I am more than my appearance.”
The Balancing Act
So how do we turn these into something useful? Honestly, there is value in both movements. Body Positivity encourages to let go of traditional standards and to speak kindly to yourself, while Body Neutrality liberates the obligation to always love how you look. The reality is, we need to find what works for each of ous. Many influencers promoting these ideas do not live with our day to day insecurities. There are days I wake up and there are things I hate and that’s okay, because I am in the process of acceptance. Some days it’s about celebrating and being positive and other days it’s just being okay. Both are real, both are meaningful, and balancing both can help you heal your relationship with your body image and self-worth.
The Recap
Now let’s break this down and how you can apply it to yourself.
Body Positivity
What is it about? Always love and be positive about your body for how it looks.
Lo bueno:
Promotes loving our bodies unconditionally, no matter how they look.
Challenges societal beauty standards.
Lo no tan bueno:
To me, it sometimes feels like there's pressure to always love our bodies, even if we don't genuinely feel that way.
This can feel like an obligation, highlighting the importance of external aesthetic appearance.
How can you use it:
Surround yourself with positive affirmations.
Engage with communities that uplift all body types.
Challenge and question societal beauty standards.
Body Neutrality
What is it about? You don’t always have to love your body. Focus on what your body does for you and learning acceptance.
Lo bueno:
Promotes focusing on what our body does for us.
Relieves pressure of always feeling positive about our bodies.
Doesn’t pay attention to societal beauty standards.
Encourages acceptance without judgment.
Y lo no tan bueno:
While it offers a relief from societal pressures, it may not provide the emotional uplift that some people seek from body positivity or change your negative perspective.
How can you use it:
Practice mindfulness and self-awareness.
Engage in non-judgmental self-reflection.
Focus on body functions and capabilities rather than its appearance.
FAQs
Can I do both Body Positivity and Body Neutrality?
Absolutely! Mix and match these tips and mindsets to customize your own self-love journey. There is no right or wrong. None are perfect and you choose your own adventure within them.
Do I have to love everything about my body for this to work for me?
No, there should be no pressure. Remember this is a process to accept yourself. You can still be a work in progress while you’re falling in love with who you are.
The wrap-up
For me, acknowledging the damage caused by the experiences that harmed my relationship with my body image has been painful. Going to therapy has been life changing and a catalyst for healing. I’ve since come to understand that personal growth is an ongoing process and it’s never too late to start. I’ve learned to speak to myself with kindness and find gratitude in the little things, even the ability of my hands and fingers can type this to you. ❤️
I am still on a self- love journey, some days are harder but I assure you it’s a path worth traveling. We can all do this together by supporting each other. 💪🏼💕
Reflecting on our relationship with our bodies can be a journey, right? 💭 Whether it's Body Positivity or Body Neutrality, they both can help you in your journey. We all have our unique stories and each of them can play a different role depending on what we each need. I'm curious, have you tried one of these approaches?
Share your thoughts or even your go-to practices for #BodyEmpowerment. Which approach do you think is more sustainable in the long run: Positivity or Neutrality? Let's discuss!
Do you think societal standards have influenced your view on body image? How do you combat this? Let's share and learn from each other, and let’s celebrate our beautiful Latin stories together! 💃🕺🌟
Want to get started with #BodyEmpowerment, but not sure how? Here is an idea:
For the next week, try starting your day with a body-neutral affirmation. Let us know how it changes your perspective.
