Maintaining A Healthy Body Image This Summer

With summer around the corner, bringing out the shorts and swim suits can feel a little overwhelming after a long winter and a year in a pandemic. But that doesn’t mean we need to initiate drastic dieting behaviors to be a part of  “Hot Girl Summer.” (Which, by the way, does not translate to skinny girl summer, OK?). Feeling confident in our bodies is ultimately the goal but can be especially difficult in the summer months when we’re generally showing off more of our skin. This requires both physical and mental exercises to help us get there. Here are some tips on how to maintain healthy body image in the summer months.

1. Focus on your favorites. Highlight the areas of your body that you love instead of focusing on hiding areas that you don’t like. Have strong legs? Show those stems off with a new pair of shorts! Love your stomach? Crop tops have never been more in style. Take advantage of where your confidence already lies and it will begin to radiate everywhere else.
2. Adjusting your sizes. Had a change in size over the past year? Find clothes that actually fit you, not the size you want to be. There’s nothing fun or comfortable about trying to fit into shorts you wore three years ago that are two sizes too small. No one knows or will ever ask what size your clothes are, but what will be obvious is how comfortable you are. Work with your body, not against it. 
3. Stay active. By staying active, we are reminded of why we focus on our physical bodies in the first place. Having a body that is capable of swimming, gardening, walking the dogs, playing at the park with the kids, mowing the grass, etc, reminds us to be appreciative of the body itself instead of constantly shaming it for not looking the way we want it to.  Additionally, physical activity has a plethora of mental health benefits to keep us staying happy and positive. It’s not (just) about looking better, it's about feeling better. 
4. Healthy eating. This may seem like an obvious one, but it’s a well known fact that on days that you eat better, you feel better about your body. With summer providing abundance of fruits and vegetables, this is a great time to get into good eating habits that help us function optimally and feel the best about our bodies. By physically nurturing our bodies, we are reinforcing a positive mental relationship with ourselves. 
5. Drink lots of water. Again, this may seem like an obvious one, but being dehydrated can make us feel mentally off and can make us look physically exhausted. Keep up with your water intake to feel and look rejuvenated, energized, and glowing.