I can meet my friends again but I’m ‘body and face’ shy. What do I do?
The quarantine measures brought by the pandemic caused all sorts of home-friendly activities to rise. Some people took to cooking and baking, while others prefer gardening (shoutout to all the plantitas and plantitos out there!). A few favored crocheting and had fun doing so, too.
Another sought-out activity is working out. Yes, it is a daily thing for the healthy and active, but not to most. Staying at home gave them enough time to do anything, especially on the first few months of quarantine, where everyone is adjusting. It encouraged them to pursue what they wanted deep down: to look and feel good about themselves.
(It may have to do something with the Chloe Ting workout trend. Her YouTube views skyrocketed during the pandemic after all.)
Regardless, to some, the efforts have been rewarded. No one deserves to look down on them for looking and feeling good about their bodies!
The other side of the coin
Others were not motivated to continue, however. As the pandemic dragged on, some people lost the motivation to continue their workouts or anything for the matter.
While off to a good start at first, it went downhill as the stressful environments and situations caught up to them. In a survey by AdCare Treatment Centers, almost half of those who experience low self-esteem said it has worsened since the start of the pandemic.
And now, the prospect of conducting face-to-face classes (albeit limited) and seeing friends again is scary. Certain thoughts like “they look so much better now” and “how do I compare?” nag at the back of their minds. And hearts.
Journey towards self-love and acceptance
The road towards body positivity is long and rocky. One moment you will feel good about yourself and the next thing you know, you do not. The pressure of maintaining a specific size, weight, and shape is difficult—it takes such a toll on our mental health.
The goal then is to love your body, regardless of shape and size.
But the process of loving your body is a rollercoaster of problems and issues. It is not easy. And thus, we compromise: accept your body first. Then we can go from there.
According to Redefining Wellness,
“Although loving our bodies is a great goal, it can feel very overwhelming when we are starting on the other side of the spectrum. Healing our body image can start (and end!) with the goal of body acceptance.”
Do not be ashamed if you are struggling with the idea of loving and accepting yourself. Embrace the problem and work from there. Baby steps!
Confidence is key!
As you face your friends after such a long time, try to be calm. Take it easy. You have not met each other for such a long time, nothing would matter most than your longing for each other. Nothing else.
It takes a while before being fully confident and accepting yourself, but being 10% confident would not be bad for a start as well. Face the day equipped with that and a smile!
