Comfortable in My Skin
By Chelsea Evans
So you’ve just booked the trip.
You’ve contemplated taking the trip due to the pandemic, and now it’s finally booked. A sense of relief and excitement comes over you as you dream about your destination. Dreaming about what places you’ll visit while there, how many excursions you’ll take, and what the amount of delicious cuisine and drinks you’ll try. This is your trip of a lifetime. A place where you will make some unforgettable memories! And, let’s not forget the number of photos and videos you plan to take! After thinking about all of that, the dread sets in and takes a little bit of your excitement away.
You’re then asking yourself, “What outfits will I wear?!” It’s been two years since you’ve traveled, and you’ve gained some pandemic weight. Then you find yourself saying, “I can’t go on my trip looking like this!” Then you tell yourself that you only need to lose at least 10-20 lbs before the trip to be “vacation ready.”
Does this sound familiar?
If you answered yes, I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone. Every time an important event comes up, we want to find the fastest diet trends and add more days to the gym. We want to feel good about ourselves, and we want to show up and show out while away. Therefore, we must present the “best version” of ourselves to the world.
The best version?
Society has made us believe that the best version of ourselves is to be smaller than we are now.
We want to feel accepted and admired by others. But what if I told you that these things shouldn’t matter because we shouldn’t rely on others to make us feel good about our worth? It’s time to take control of your narrative and rewrite the story of how you view yourself in your mind.
I, too, have been caught in this mindset. I took a trip to Miami for a wedding one year. I did my best to do my workouts, eat right, and lose weight. However, it was now time to wear my two-piece swimsuit for the very first time. Yes, I was nervous about this daunting task because although I did lose weight, it still didn’t feel like it was enough. I had never worn a two-piece swimsuit where I would be showing my stomach, and I was a nervous wreck. When I finally got to the beach, I quickly removed my cover-up before I could change my mind due to fear. Within that quick second, I looked around at everyone at the beach and realized something very important; no one was paying attention to ME!
Let me tell all of you! I’m over here about to have a nervous breakdown! Stressing about what others will say or think, while they are continuing their day, minding their business, and enjoying their fun in the sun. Now, if they did feel something about me, they didn’t have enough courage to tell me how awful I looked or that I shouldn’t be wearing that outfit. It was all in my mind. I spent so much time pressuring myself to achieve a goal weight before my vacation that I lost myself in the process. I didn’t value myself enough not to care about what others thought.
After that trip, I realized that I needed more self-acceptance. It wasn’t about losing weight anymore, but now it was about having a changed mindset on how I view myself.
From then on, I stopped forcing myself to diet or follow an extreme workout plan leading up to a trip. I was no longer interested in changing myself to fit an expectation of what I “should” be while on vacation. Instead, I became more focused on being content wherever I was in my weight loss journey. I felt like the beach would get whatever body I gave it!
Now, as you all can see, there’s a lot of shame and insecurity to unpack when it comes to connecting with your body as it is. It’s time to start caring for ourselves and not waiting for the next destination to feel as if we need to make changes to our bodies.
It’s time to start feeling comfortable in our skin right now! Because you are beautiful and handsome, and there is no shame in who you are!
Here are a few tips to feel more comfortable in your body while preparing for your upcoming trip!
Celebrate your body
Let’s celebrate what your body has done for you. We spend too much of our precious time hating the only body that we will ever have. Why not celebrate your body’s wins?!
You may have carried and delivered new life; that’s a celebration, and your body did that. You may have run a marathon; that’s a celebration, and your body did that. You may have taken a nap today, that’s most certainly a celebration because your body needed that rest, and you listened.
Be proud of what your body is doing. Do your best to look at how far you’ve come and take time to cheer for yourself. Take a moment to do that because YOU are worth it.
Wear the swimsuit/beach attire that feels more comfortable for you.
It’s okay not to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Shocking right?! But it’s true! You can challenge yourself but remember you don’t have anything to prove. If you have a preference for wearing a bikini, then wear it. But if that’s not your thing, don’t do it because that’s what you think you’re supposed to do because you’re pushing yourself.
Find swimwear that feels good to you, whether a one-piece, a high-waisted bikini, medium or short-length trunks or shorts, and a top. Any swimwear you wear is the right one because it makes you feel good and isn’t what you think other people want to see you in.
Detox from social media accounts
It’s easy to look on social media and see everyone’s highlight reel. If you are following accounts that are not uplifting and inspiring you, it’s time to unfollow them. Social media shouldn’t make you feel judged or unworthy based on someone else’s page. You want to filter these out so that you foster an online space that helps you to feel compassion and love.
Exercise to feel good
This one can be tough because sometimes working out can feel like a chore, and half the time, you’re forcing yourself to get to the nearest gym. So why do we put ourselves through this torture? If you don’t want to go to the gym, don’t!
Physical activity boosts our endorphins and makes us feel alive. How can we feel alive, though, if we are dreading it? So do something that you love! Move your body in a way that feels good to you. I love to dance, so I put on my favorite jams and do a Lil two-step. You could go on a walk with your fur baby if that’s something you love to do. Focus on how you feel physically and mentally during that activity. If you’re not enjoying the moment, it may be time to find a different activity. We shouldn’t be doing exercises that we hate.
Treat your body well
We often try to starve ourselves to lose weight before a trip. Instead, nourish your body with food that feels good to you. Eat enough until you are genuinely complete. Don’t overindulge. Yes, eating healthy is the goal but don’t become obsessed that you can’t enjoy your favorite things. Listen, if I want a bowl of ice cream, I’m going to eat my ice cream. If you want some chocolate, eat your chocolate! Give your body what it wants because it’s all good for the soul.
While it might take some time to overcome your insecurities, you’ll be all set with your changed mindset as long as you’re true to yourself. Then, when your trip comes along, you’ll have a renewed sense of what it means to be comfortable in your skin and truly know how much you’re worth!