Summer is officially here! And you know what that means? Sunshine, beaches, and freedom, right? Well sure...unless you're a girl who is super self conscious. In that case, summer means dreading going outside wearing semi-revealing clothing and wanting to enjoy the beach, but being too worried about what you look like in your new suit.
Did you know that according to a Dove campaign, 92 percent of girls see something about their physical selves that they'd like to change? 92 percent....That's a lot!
So, why are girls having such a hard time with their self esteem? Plenty of reasons! In this article, I am going to highlight five reasons why girls struggle with self-esteem in the summer.
1. Social Media
It's true that what we look at can harm us. On social media, there are articles everywhere about "quick fixes to belly bloat," usually accompanied by a picture of a skinny girl wearing next to nothing. On social media, we also see others posting selfies and pictures on the beach, which is fine. There is nothing wrong with that. What we do with the things we see is the problem. We compare ourselves and say, "man, I wish I looked like that all the time!" But what we need to remember is that what people post on social media is only the good stuff...the highlights of their life. Also, face it...how many selfies did you have to take to get that profile picture? What I'm trying to say is that nobody is perfect, even if that's what the picture looks like.
2. Celebrities
The same thing happens when we see celebrities. We compare ourselves to them. Trust me, the Victoria's Secret Angels and the Kardashians are not the perfect examples of what we should strive for. We are each our own person, and it's okay to look the way you look! That's how God made you! I know, it's easier said than done, but comparison kills self-esteem. A huge step in feeling better in your own skin is to stop comparing yourself to others.
3. Clothes Shopping
I don't know about you, but I struggle a lot when it comes to shopping for summer clothes. Lots of crop tops and shorts. When I try them on, I don't feel like it looks right on me. Why? Because I just saw a picture of a model wearing that same outfit and it looks different on her. This is another form of comparison. Had I never seen the picture of the model, I might actually like the way the outfit looks on me. (I like to blame the mirrors and lighting in the changing rooms as well. It makes me feel a little better.) What happens with this is that we forget that we are our own individuals. We live in this body of ours. The clothes we put on it won't always look exactly like they do on someone else. That is something that makes us unique.
4. The Standard
If you've been bullied or been in a toxic relationship, you know what I mean by that. There is this unspoken (or sometimes even spoken) standard that we feel that we must live up to. That comes from the media telling us how to lose 10 pounds in two weeks and it comes from guys who talk disgustingly about women. Who am I kidding? It's not just guys, it's girls who talk bad about girls too! These things have almost become normal in our society. I know we can't control what other people say or what the media is posting in the magazines, but we can control how we choose to react. We can choose to be defined by the opinions of others, or we can choose to be defined by who God has made us.
5. The Pressure
Last but not least, us girls struggle with the pressure that comes from all of these areas. We feel pressured to lose weight, to change what we eat, to fit into a size 4, to look a certain way...I can go on forever! Here's the truth: the only pressure we feel is the pressure that we allow. Again, easier said than done! I get it, trust me. But how true is that? Who is harder on us than we are on ourselves?
The fix to this? Well, I can name a few things. Spend time with God, spend time with yourself, cut the negativity out of your life (whether it's people or reading a Cosmo magazine), and do what you love. And those are only a few.
When I talk about this, I'm not saying that I don't agree with being healthy, because I 100 percent do! Health is a big deal. If you want to lose weight, go for it, but make sure you're doing it for the right reasons and that you're doing it the right way.
I believe that God made each and every one of us unique and beautiful, and that who we are as people is far more important than the way we look.
