Student Life | Issue 40

by Florence Given. It explains why we
feel so pressured to look a certain
way but also expands onto how
people of colour, black people, people
with disabilities are discriminated
against when it comes to body image
too. I feel for many people who are
struggling with body image and selfesteem,
to read and hear another
point of view is so helpful. It puts
the things we always think about
into perspective and can take us out
of a damaging cycle of thinking. In
my own experiences when having a
hard time about my body image, it
becomes the only thing I think about.
It starts to become an obsession. But
now with the education I have given
myself, I know that I don’t have to feel
the things I’ve felt. That my body is a
blessing.
To everyone struggling, I ask that
you listen to a positive outside voice.
Whilst I believe talking about body
image to another person is important,
I understand why someone wouldn’t
want to speak about how they feel.
So instead, write down your feelings
and thoughts, then listen to people
who talk about body image in a
supportive environment (I would
listen to Tedtalks too). You can start
to evaluate why you feel certain
things about why you have body
image issues, but you must look
at your situation from a different
point of view. Which Tedtalks, books,
podcasts etc can be wonderful for,
when reaching out for a different
perspective. These are things I have
found helpful and I hope I can help
other people to accept themselves.
The society we have currently can
be beautiful, kind, and incredible.
However, there are still many
downsides to the world we live in. I
believe that to change the world it
must start small. If anyone you know
is struggling, if you are struggling,
I challenge you to challenge your
thoughts. Why do you think you have
to look a certain way?
When I challenged my thinking, it took
all the power my damaging thoughts
had and made these thoughts
nothing but… thoughts. By taking the
power away I could think objectively
about why I felt the way I did, and
this gave me a sense of security that
I wasn’t crazy, or weird. I know that
talking about body image can be
difficult, so if you don’t feel ready to
speak about it, then try out the things
I said earlier in this article. As the
one person we must live with for the
rest of our lives is… ourselves. The
person who understands you best is
yourself. It may not be as easy as you
think, and if its difficult to even write
down your feelings. Take your time,
breathe, and know everything will be
okay. These thoughts and feelings
will not last forever, you will grow into
the best version of yourself and last
of all…
I believe in you.
49 49 •• MARCH ISSUE 2019 40 •• STUDENT LIFE LIFE