I’ve struggled with my body image and insecurities for as long as I can remember. I don’t really ever remember a time where I was comfortable in my own skin. It’s definitely gotten better as I’ve grown up, but I still struggle on a daily basis with my insecurities. 

It’s not easy growing up in this society. You are constantly bombarded with images of men/women that you are told have the ideal body and with advertisements for products that will “help you look younger, slimmer, and more beautiful” or “buff and muscular”. That’s all a load of BS. There is no ideal body, we all come in different shapes and sizes and we are all so beautiful. And the products that are advertised will not make you more beautiful, it’s what’s on the inside that matters.

You are probably asking yourself, “but Brittaney, you run a lifestyle and beauty blog, you love makeup.” Well yes, you are definitely correct in that statement. I love playing with all the different products and trying out new looks, but the makeup I wear shouldn’t be a wall I hide behind. Now I will admit that in the past I used makeup to cover up my insecurities and I wouldn’t leave the house without a full face of makeup on. but I’ve been slowly trying to be better and not do that. Makeup shouldn’t be used to hide, it should be used to enhance what you already have.

Last week when I got my haircut and eyebrows done, I left my apartment without any makeup on! I just brushed my teeth, put on some moisturizer, and got in my car. A couple years ago, even a couple of months ago, that never would have happened. I would have had to at least put on BB cream, blush, mascara, and filled in my eyebrows. There are days when I just want to completely cover all my imperfections (namely the blemishes and dark circles), but I’m slowly trying to overcome that. It’s definitely difficult, I’m not going to lie, but I know it will be worth it in the long run.

Now that I’ve gone on a tangent about beauty products, I should probably talk about body image, considering it’s in the title. 😉

Body image is something I’ve never felt comfortable talking about. It’s just one of those topics that I get super uncomfortable about and clam up whenever someone mentions weight, food, or in general, looks. I don’t remember a time where I felt happy with myself. I’ve certainly gotten better, but there are still days where I feel down about how I look. All throughout middle school and high school (and likely even elementary school), I’ve always been, I guess you could say, bigger than other girls (or at least I always felt that way). Looking back on photos, I never was, but I definitely felt larger. It’s something that I noticed from an early age and it definitely hindered me and the activities I was involved in. 

I used to be a cheerleader when I was younger, if you can believe that. I used to cheer for those club football teams everyone cheered for when they were young, and then I started competitive cheerleading in, I think, seventh grade. I did competitive cheer with a local gym for about a year and a half then switched over to a new gym, but didn’t compete there. When I switched gyms, I would’ve been on a competitive team if I got my back handspring down on the floor, but I think my body issues hindered me as I didn’t want to wear the crop top and skirt that this new team wore, so I just never got my back handspring down. My old team wore cheer uniforms that didn’t show any skin, except for your legs and I felt uncomfortable about being forced to show my stomach. I really wish that I hadn’t let me insecurities stop me from competing as I really loved to cheer. If you really love something, don’t let your negative thoughts stop you from doing it. When you get older, you will really regret it and always wonder what would’ve happened had you stuck to it.

I guess what I’m trying to get from this post, is to tell you that each one of you are beautiful human beings and that we all feel insecure at times. I don’t have many tips or tricks to help you get through these issues, but I do have a couple that I want to share.

1. First things first, when these insecurities and horrible thoughts are running in your mind, try to switch that voice off and think of something happy. I’ve made a ‘good things’ jar that I put little slips of paper in with good things that have happened to me that year or happy thoughts to help shut that voice down. Whenever I feel down about myself, I will go and take a slip of paper out and read it. It helps me to put things in perspective and not feel as trapped with the insecure voice in my head.
2. Another tip is to go do something that makes you feel good. Whether that’s going for a walk, reading a book, or listening to your favorite music, go do something that will bring you joy. I usually will blast my favorite playlist and either read a book or write my thoughts in a journal. 
3. Last tip I have is mainly for body insecurities… Whenever I feel down about how I look, I immediately go find something to wear that makes me feel good. I have a dress that I absolutely adore and makes me feel really great about myself. When I don’t feel like wearing a dress, I have another outfit that I always go for. Both outfits make me feel really confident, even on my worse days.

And that’s all I have for you today. I hope this post helped you in some way, even if it just gave you a new perspective about this topic. I definitely don’t claim to know everything, so my tips might not work for you. But I wish you all the very best and let me know in the comments what helps you when those negative thoughts consume you. I could always do with more ways to get those to shut up.

P.S. if you are ever feeling down and don’t know who to talk to, I’m always here to listen. You can comment below, shoot me an email, or talk to me on any of my social media accounts. I know what it feels like to feel like you have no one to vent to. I love y’all and hope y’all have had a wonderful day/night. Remember to keep smiling, things will get better in time. <3

All the love, B.

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