Loving Your Body Summer 2020
The winter has been long, and here at The Edge, we’re ready for the warm weather to make its way to campus! Elon is always beautiful, but especially when it finally decides to warm up, and nothing is better than sitting outside and soaking up the sun with some friends.
For some, this isn’t the most comforting thought. Even though winter is cold and sometimes even miserable, it can be a security blanket for people; an excuse to wear the coziest clothes that cover you head to toe can actually really be important for some people’s mental health.
Unfortunately, body insecurity is something that a lot of people struggle with, especially on a college campus. Winter clothing, such as sweaters and sweatshirts, aren’t usually the most revealing and are an easy way to hide parts of your body that you aren’t happy with.
Honestly, it’s so much easier to preach it than practice it. For example, the other day I decided to wear shorts to the gym. This was the first time since October that I pulled my shorts out! At first, I thought nothing of it. As I put my whole outfit on and looked at myself in the mirror, I had a thought that I hadn’t felt in a long time — I hated the way my legs looked in these shorts.
This was probably because I had gotten so used to seeing my body in leggings or jeans. But at that moment, I felt bad about the way I looked. I changed into workout leggings instead, which made me feel better for the time being. But this moment really stuck with me. It made me think about how many times this feeling is going to happen this summer and how much worse it's going to be when I have to wear a bathing suit.
After much thought, I came to the conclusion that it will be much easier to just love and accept my body instead of being at war with it. I know that my body doesn’t bother anyone like it bothers me, so shouldn’t it be much easier to just accept myself for who I am? I know the answer, but practicing self-love is one of the hardest things to do. So I'm doing my best, and constantly working on it. Self love doesn’t happen overnight. It can be a step-by-step process, best taken one day at a time.
When it comes time to bring the shorts and tank tops back out, it’s important to be kind to yourself. You are your own toughest critic and see flaws in yourself no one else notices. Confidence is stunning and comes from more than the way you look. It’s a state of mind!
This summer, The Edge encourages you to express yourself in your fashion and makeup, even if you think you can’t pull it off or it shows too much skin. Don’t miss out on something because of the way you feel about yourself. If you like something, then rock it! We already know you look amazing, so you should too!