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OPINIONS
Personal journey for self-love includes healthy lifestyle changes Hannah Conn ’23
Web Managing Editor
O
ver recent years, the extensive body positivity movement has swept modern social media and the minds of our generation. The movement presses that we should love our bodies no matter what. Its rhetoric has provided comfort and security to many teenagers as they transition through their most transformative years— where their bodies are constantly growing and changing. I have found, however, in my own quest for body positivity, that it is not as simple as waking up one day and declaring that I love my body. It has been a long winded, often fluctuating
Photo by Gabi Gerig ’23
process which I have struggled to ly or even changing how I dress. truly embrace. Part of this jourWhen I mention any of these ney has been realizing that there goals to my friends, I notice that isn’t anything inherently wrong their immediate reaction is to say with wanting to change how “No, oh my gosh, you’re beauyou look, as long as you do so in tiful!” They emphasize that my a healthy manner. body is “perMy main two I shouldn’t feel fect,” or say, “I goals at the molove the way ment include en- guilty about wanting your hair looks; hancing a healthier to change, improve don’t change it!” diet that cuts out We l l - i n or experiment with tentioned excessive snacking comand binge eating, my body. ments such as and incorporating these attempt simple daily exerto comfort cise through 30-minute walks some perceived insecurity. Howoutside. I am actively making ever, they can sometimes do more these changes in order to bring harm than good: these coma healthy balance to my life that ments can make me feel guilty I feel I lack. Like many, I also for wanting to make changes have cosmetic-based goals such But I shouldn’t feel guilty as wanting to grow out my hair, about wanting to change, imallow my nails to grow healthi- prove or experiment with
my
body. No one should. Wanting to make changes to how you look, both physically—such as losing weight— or more aesthetically—like altering jewelry or clothing styles—are healthy goals. In all honesty, as someone who isn’t as skinny as many of the girls next to me in class, I find comfort in healthily adjusting my lifestyle. Nobody told me I had to change. I was the one who made the decision to change my lifestyle. I chose to make this effort personally, so I can progress towards truly loving myself. Healthy change, such as weight loss—or weight gain— is not always a toxic thing, and it looks different for everybody. I am simply on a personal quest for acceptance and love of my own physical appearance.