My Body-Positive Social Media Strategy

Success doesn’t happen overnight and it doesn’t happen by chance either.  If you want to be successful at something, you have to be intentional about your choices.  My relationship with my body and my holistic health are very important to me.  I want to be successful at honoring my body, loving myself, and maintaining my wellness.  I realized a while ago that healing my body relationship and improving my holistic health was not going to happen without my commitment to the process.  I began taking ownership of my body relationship and wellness.  I took responsibility for what it was and became invested in the process of my own evolution and body journey.

When it comes to my body relationship, I know that media is a big influence.  In this technological age, so many messages about body image, appearance, and  beauty are conveyed through media.  Since I spend a great deal of time on social media,  one of the most important things that I have invested in, is developing a body-positive social media strategy.  I know this is an area that a lot of people struggle with.  People of all ages, genders, and body types find themselves influenced by what they see, hear, and read on social media. However, social media does not have to be a negative force in our lives.  It can be a tool that we use for our good and the good of others.  We simply have to be intentional about how we use it and what we allow it to bring into the sacred space of our heart and mind.  Here are 5 things that I did to make my social media experience more body positive:

1. I Follow More People Who Look Like Me– At first this may seem kind of self-centered or self-serving to you.  To tell you the truth, it IS.  I started intentionally following more people who share the same body type as me.  I did this because it helps me to see images that affirm my own beauty and it inspires me to value my own body.  A timeline full of confident women who have bodies with round tummies, thick thighs, and voluptuous breasts help me to remember that I am not alone and I am not an anomaly.  When I see these women push the boundaries in their bikinis, crop tops, and mini skirts it inspires me to release the body stigma that was put on me for decades as a larger bodied person. When I  see Jessamyn Stanley and Amber Karnes doing yoga, I see my own reflection in their bold, daring poses and I feel so much Love energy for my body.  My belief in my own athletic ability is strengthened every time I see Jill Angie or Krista Henderson  post a photo running with their curvy bodies.  Gabi Fresh in her sexy bikini and Courtney Mina in her lace body suit inspires me to reconnect with sensuality on my terms in my own body.  I truly believe that, no matter what your body type, it helps to see people who share the same features as you. Simply knowing that they navigate life powerfully and unapologetically can sometimes be healing for your own body relationship.
2. I Unfollow People Who Body Shame Or Push Body Abuse- This step could have been at the top of my list because I do this one the most.  Anyone who posts diet behavior, extreme fitness or disordered eating gets an immediate unfollow from me! If there are fat jokes, body bullying, or negative body comments coming from someone, I unfollow them without hesitation.  I am passionate about clearing my social media of people who perpetuate body shame or body abuse.  It is so easy for toxic thoughts and energy from those types of posts to affect how you feel about yourself and others.  So, rather than risk the negative influence, I simply eliminate it. I know that deleting it from my timeline won’t delete it from existing in the world, but it will help me to stay in a positive relationship with my own body and to celebrate body acceptance for others.
3. I Ditch The Thinspiration – Body comparison can be dangerous.  It is easy to fall into looking at the body of another person and wishing that we looked like them.  We may even fall into using their body as our “inspiration”.   The most dangerous thing about this is that NO two bodies are alike.  We have no idea what another person did to get their flatter tummy, streamlined waist, or bigger butt.  Even if they tell  us the “secret” to their body shape, we don’t know that their method will work for our body.  If everyone could do the same thing and get the same results, then we would all look the same right? I refrain from following another person, just to “inspire” me to change my body so it can look like theirs.  Whether it be a celebrity, a model or a friend we all have the temptation to emulate the habits of another so we can duplicate their body in our own mirror.  Why would I torture myself like that?  I’d much rather stick with strategy #1 and be inspired to honor and celebrate the body I have right now.
4. I Am Authentic In My Own Posts – Now, this is a strategy that is about considering myself and others. I am intentional about being authentic in my posts on social media.  You won’t see me whittling away any fat with photoshop, or pretending that I exercise every day when I don’t.  If I have a cupcake that I’m enjoying, I’ll post a picture of it, if I want to.   Sometimes I wake up and share a “naked selfie” with no makeup, jewelry or fancy hair.  I believe that smiles are not obligatory.  So, I smile in some photos  and I don’t smile in others.  This is my way of being true to myself and my body.  I make the conscious choice to share my “imperfections” as a way of celebrating and honoring them.  I also want to encourage and inspire others to do the same, so I create the safe space for them to consider the possibility of such freedom.  I haven’t always been able to do this.  It’s been a part of my journey in my body relationship.  However, every day is a new opportunity to share from the space who I am, not who I “need” to be for society.
5. I Give Love To Other Body-Positive Posts– It isn’t always easy to embrace ourselves as we are.  I know that for sure.  So, when I see someone share a body-positive post, I show them love.  I want them to know that they inspire me and that their life touched mine.  I believe this is important.  Whatever we want more of, we should give attention to.  The Law of Attraction tells us that.  So, when I see body love, body diversity, body acceptance, self-love, and self-care in my timeline,  I give my energy to it, so it will increase.  Quite often people share or re-post the most heinous, tragic, and disturbing media.  Why perpetuate that? We can be the change in social media and our world, by supporting those who uplift and inspire.  It’s our choice to do so.

I’d love to hear from you about whether you find any of these strategies to be something you could try.  Do you think that we can create a more body-positive social media experience for ourselves?