Teenage…. It can be confusing, new, and also exciting! As a fresh teen, you might be noticing some changes in your body. The changes can be your new curves, growing breasts, weight gain, acne, and more. It is easy to feel confused and frustrated; you suddenly look older, and social media and society haven’t made it easy on you.

The question you ask yourself and the internet, “How to love your body,” searching for a quick solution that helps you cope. But the truth is, there is no quick solution; it is all about growing and owning it!

Today is a body confidence 101 class for teens who want to understand what is going on with their bodies and how to accept themselves.

Puberty: What is it? (Why is My Body Changing?)

Puberty is a phase we all go through; it can bring a lot of changes both inside and outside our bodies. For girls, you may notice your hips widen, your boobs come in, and you grow taller. For boys, it can be wet dreams, height growth, acne, and more.

This is a natural part of becoming a young human, and it is okay to go through it. Puberty does not hit everyone at the same time, it can be early for you and late for your friend.

During these changes, social media can be either your best friend or a big bully. Try not to compare yourself to others when going through puberty; most of the pictures online are filtered and refactored.
Learning about how to love your body is accepting how your body functions and changes throughout life. [1]

Why You Might Feel Insecure?

It is a transformation from being a kid to suddenly seeing major changes in the mirror. It can be hard to accept in the beginning, and voices in your head like ” I am not pretty” or ” I hate how my nose looks” fuel these insecurities.

These are not the truths, but just echoes of unrealistic beauty standards telling lies. Instead of focusing on negative self-talk, you can understand why you feel that way. Learning about how to love your body comes from understanding why it happens to the best of us.

• Social Media: Social media can be really hard on young teens, especially about their looks. These platforms show edited, filtered versions of reality. It can be easy to start comparing with others online.
• Body Shaming: It can be one negative comment, insults, or online comments that can deeply affect your confidence and mental health
• Unrealistic beauty standards: The world around you often promotes a narrow idea of beauty. Most people feel left out and insecure. Even the most attractive people feel insecure about the way they look. You are not alone.
• Comparison: Have your parents compared you with your siblings? Constant notion of how they are better than you? What about your friends constantly bragging about themselves? These comparison talks can make you question your body and features.
• Days can be low: Not every day will be a confident day, and it is okay! What matters is how you talk yourself through it and what you decide to feel. When days are low, you can be kinder and gentler to yourself.

How To Start Loving Your Body

Nothing happens overnight, it is always a slow burn of consistency! With small steps and understanding your feelings, you can give your body the love it deserves. Let’s discuss some steps you can implement to love your body right.

We are humans after all, we all go through these emotions, we don’t tend to understand. We need these confusing experiments to understand ourselves better.

• Speak to yourself kindly: You are your biggest critic, and if you look down on yourself, people will look down on you. So start with yourself.
• Do not follow trends: Social media is trained to make normal people insecure, as an act to buy things they don’t need. These trends, and different products, claim to fix your issues, but mostly they just suck your pockets dry.
• Do not look in the mirrors all the time: Give yourself a break from having to look your best all the time. Even the art of looking effortless takes a lot of effort. You are so much more than your looks.
• Unfollow and unmute: If certain accounts or influencers make you feel low about yourself. You need to unfollow and unmute them. It’s okay to take charge of what you allow yourself to see.
• Share your feelings: Things can be overwhelming and confusing at times. Share how you feel with someone you trust, and they can tell you about their experiences and share some tips. You might get older and be someone’s ally, too!

What To Do When Someone Body Shames You?

Learning how to love your body comes with accepting yourself and learning how to stand up for yourself. Standing up for yourself can be uncomfortable and weird, but that shows you have boundaries.

Hearing comments about your body from time to time can be hard and frustrating. You start overthinking parts of your body you didn’t even think about. Your relatives, friends, and family do not provide support by pointing out body parts or features they think are unflattering. So, how do you handle such comments? Let’s discuss!

• Set boundaries: Setting boundaries is not being rude. You are just taking authority over how you want to be treated. Let people know you do not want to be talked to like that.
• Don’t take it personally: Most of the time, people project their insecurities on you. It won’t even be about you, but them mostly. Just wish them that they heal and move on with your day.
• Talk to someone: If people still pass on mean comments and make you uncomfortable. Talk to a trusted teacher, parent, or counsellor. You deserve respect without begging for it.

You are not the problem; body shaming and being mean are. Stand up for yourself! [2]

Conclusion

How to love your body is a great initiative on a self-love journey. For teens, it can be hard to navigate through these changes. Keep showing up for yourself, one step at a time. Your body is unique, and that’s what makes you, you.