Top 3 ways you can let go of body shaming.

You are beautiful as you were born and unique and special as you are. I remember growing up I was a skinny girl with bones and no meat. Everywhere I went I was ridiculed and called all sorts of names that vaguely matched a stick figure. This got ingrained in me quite deep. Putting on weight was my sole goal for a couple of years in high school. But then something clicked in me and I changed my self-talk. I realized the only person who is finally convincing myself about the words she is hearing is me. No matter what the world around me would say, it is me who has the filter to have some selective listening.

So here you go: a 3 step process I have mastered over the years, to be able to survive the body shaming that goes on in our heads.

Step 1: Always always be kind to yourself. Make it a habit to spend at least 10 minutes with yourself in front of the mirror. It could be 2 minutes 5 times a day or 5 minutes 2 times a day or a whole 10 minutes.  Find the smallest features of you that you absolutely love. If you are too shy to say it out loud, just watch yourself in the mirror and repeat the nice words you would say to a friend, to yourself

Step 2: Give yourself a warm tight hug every time you have a few minutes alone. Like perhaps in the car driving. You deserve the love you often give out to people. So, make it a conscious attempt to make space for yourself to give a warm hug to yourself

Step 3: Last but not least, write yourself a love note in a diary. Imagine what you would say to your little self, when she was a toddler. You would only use kind and loving words to describe yourself wouldn’t you? Just take 10 minutes each day for a month to journal in your self love diary.

At the end of this consistent practice, believe me, whatever anyone says, including you when you compare yourself to others or the old self-talk surfaces again, you will be equipped with the shield of love you have been creating around yourself. Body shaming might take a while to let go of, but the intensity of the self sabotaging self talk will continue to peel off. 

You could be using this to wean off of any negative self talk you happen to put yourself through. It starts with taking care of your mental health just like your physical health. Your charming self deserves to see the light of the day.

This is where I come in, with Doturminds as your destination to take a pause while you are keeping your mind active and in a state of flow through the symmetrical dot art. All it takes is 10 minutes of your time to keep that mind mindful and young. The idea is to get you exposed to your awareness by attending one of the pencil dot art sessions or in person sand art sessions.

Enjoy this Autumn season as you shed those leaves of self criticism.