Body: taking care of it & why you should

Your body is the only permanent thing belonging entirely to you from the moment you are born to the second that you die. Taking care of it should come naturally but in our society, it is difficult to. 

If you are recovering from an eating disorder or even simply have negative thoughts about your body, I know that it's hard. It's hard to push past those ingrained thoughts and chemicals within your brain. Sometimes it's impossible to. 

We live in a society who makes you feel as if you need to have a different body. You can't. It is impossible to achieve someone else's body, something 'perfect'. You are already the perfect version of you. You are perfect already. 

I know from my personal experiences that whenever I would look into a mirror, I would hate what I see and sometimes still do. "You are so fat", "you need to lose weight" and so much more that I won't go into detail with. I know that there are millions of us that feel this way, girls and boys alike. 

You should take care of yourself for one simple reason. That reason is something you need to remind yourself of always. You are stuck with your body. This shouldn't be a negative concept. It should be a positive one. Our body allows us to do so much. We need to learn to appreciate them for what they do for us and not hate them for how they look. Think about your body. What does it allow you to do? It allows you to breathe, it allows you to dance, sing and be around those you love. What are your favourite things to do? Your body allows you to do all of those things.

For me, the mirror was my enemy. The mirror represented showing me something that I didn't want to see. Myself. Thinking on it is upsetting. I hated the way I looked. I couldn't bare to look at myself or it would bring on an onslaught of thoughts about how I should restrict or binge eat. 

The next time you look in the mirror or consider not eating something I want you to  tell yourself three simple words. These words aren't "I love you" (but those are good too). The three words are, "I deserve better". The reason I want you to tell yourself this is because you do. You deserve to feel comfortable within yourself. You deserve to be happy and content.  Treat your body the same way you would want your son or daughter to treat their own. 

Remember all of those things you love. If you deprive your body or treat it negatively, those things may become out of grasp. I encourage you to surround yourself during as much positivity as you can during your recovery or journey of self care. If you can't get it in real life, which is awfully common, turn to social media. There are thousands of beautiful people ready to support you in your journey. These people see the beauty in all bodies and see the beauty in being happy and content within yourself. Follow as many as you possibly can, your mind will thank you for it. 

Your body is yours. Nourish it, find ways to love it for what it is and not what you wish it could be. If you are truly struggling with thoughts, actions or tendencies, please seek help. Your body and mind will be so much better for it. 

You deserve better. 

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