3 Ways To Beat Body Insecurities

I love autumn and all of the warm and cozy things that is brings - hot cocoa, bonfires, oversized sweaters, leggings, knee boots. I have to admit, one of the major reasons that I love this season is because of those big cozy sweaters - you see the truth is that I have insecurities. I am not afraid to admit it. Sometimes I like to hide myself under billowy sweaters. I have days where I feel great about my body and head out of the door with pep in my step. I also have days where I want to curl up in the corner and burn every pair of jeans in my closet. Having insecurities as a woman is normal - not because being a woman lends to picking ourselves apart, but, because of the messages and standards that society feeds us.

Today I want to remind you that no matter your shape or size you are so uniquely beautiful and no worldly standard can ever determine your worth. Read on for some helpful tips to keep your body confidence up and your heart encouraged.

By the world's standards our worth and our beauty is bound up in the size of our jeans. We are so much more than that number. The standards that we are held to are not real. We know it, and yet, we still judge ourselves by those standards. I am guilty of this a myself, lately.

Stop Comparing Yourself To Others.
Comparison kills joy. There is no one else in this world that has your talents or your heart. We are completely unique and yet we long to be the same - to have the same hair, the same eyes, the same long legs as her. I am so guilty of this myself. It is one of the hardest things in world to banish comparison. Because we live in a world driven by media we naturally weigh appeal and value by what is aesthetically pleasing, because that is what we are constantly told matters most. What is more important than physical beauty is the heart of a person. A heart of kindness and love, a heart of generosity, patience, and a heart of strength. We are given one life and one body. God created you so uniquely and so differently. He perfectly knit you together with every weakness and every strength, every flaw and every perfection. He makes no mistakes. Your life and your body are not worthy of comparison.

The other day I was at a location taking pictures for the blog and I lamented, to Austin, that I felt full in my thighs. He quickly replied: "Well you're not, but, it's okay to be fuller. You are beautiful as you are, in any form". The simple truth of Austin's statement struck me deeply - It is okay to be full figured, and It is okay to be lean. It is okay to be tall, short, have freckles, a crooked smile. It is okay - no, it is beautiful - to be you. 

Banish comparison from your mind and your heart! Comparison has no place in our lives as women because we are beautiful just as we are, in any form - full figured, lean,  and everything in between.

Embrace Your Beautiful Flaws & Nourish Your Body
Flaws.. everybody has them and nobody wants them. I have physical imperfections that I am acutely aware of, but, those "flaws" are a part of who I am and so, I love them. I embrace them because no one else has my big slightly crooked smile, no one else has my size four hips and small torso, and no one else has my incurably alabaster skin. Those supposed flaws are beautiful because they are me. Your "flaws" are not flaws at all. Your imperfections are beautiful because they are you, so uniquely you.

Embrace your body and embrace yourself. God created you - every perfectly imperfect inch. Making peace with your body is the key to beating insecurity. The first and best place to start is to nourish your body. Drink plenty of water, eat foods that provide energy and nutrient benefits, and get outside and exercise! When our bodies are healthy, we feel better physically, and, in turn, we feel better emotionally. Being physically and emotionally balanced leaves us free love who we are - heart, mind, and body!

Refuse To Indulge Negative Thoughts.
Negative thoughts lead to unrealistic ideals. Ideals that we cannot afford to have as women. Refuse to indulge negative thoughts about your body by cutting them out by the root - remove negative media from your life, whether it is a television show, a magazine, or even the social accounts of another women that you envy. Banishing body shaming media from your life [ directly negative or comparison inducing ] leaves room for you to nourish your mind with truth and positive body perspectives.

We are our own worst critics. Having a healthy mindset rooted in the truth of our worth is an important aspect of beating body insecurities for good!

Outfit Details:
Top: Banana Republic
Jeans: Loft 
Booties c/o: Sole Society 
Jewelry: gifted
Scarf: Local Boutique

I hope this post encouraged you to embrace your body, reject the societal standard of your beauty, and be confident in your own skin. Every part of your being is beautiful!

What insecurities have you struggled with? What ways have you overcome them?

All my heart,