COMPARISONITUS! 10 Body Positive Instagram accounts you should be following STAT
COMPARISONITUS
There has been so much talk lately about social media and becoming caught up in this world of perfectly framed, snapshot images that don’t reflect a real life. Seeing these images, over and over again is enough to create this culture of comparison- where we start to see what we have and what we are as less than or not enough! It is a REALLY hard thing to get past, and for myself it has been such a huge personal challenge to reach a place where I accept and love myself for all that I am. And once you arrive at this destination- it is ongoing ‘work’ to stay there! I say work loosely, because it does take time and effort- but it is so doable, and so important to put in that time for yourself!
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In the meantime- one thing you can do to value yourself, work on loving yourself and skyrocket your sense of self worth is to follow and engage with positive role models! Here are my favourite 10 body positive Instagrammers!
1- Lena Dunham @lenadunham
Oh Lena. I’ll try and keep this short because I could go on for days. The first season of Girls I saw a shot of Lena Dunham naked and I thought “there is a girl whose body looks like mine, and its beautiful!” SUCH an empowering and rare thought to have. Her belly, her thighs, her vulnerability- seriously amazing. I have since gone on to read her book (Not That Kind Of Girl) and listen to her podcast (Women of the Hour) and I cannot say enough good things about her. Her honesty, her intersectionality and her “no fucks given attitude”. Lena can we please be besties?
2- Nikki Ayres @nikki_ayres
Wow. Nikki. What an inspiration! Nikki was working in a highly successful professional role when she realised she wasn’t happy- more than not happy, she was struggling and battling mental illness. So she quit and started over! What ensued was a journey to discover and live what she loved- to spread joy and promote self worth, to connect with spirituality everyday through yoga, meditation and health All of this after being told by health professionals it wouldn’t be possible! Nikki runs regular workshops, classes, YouTube vids and retreats in and around Sydney and abroad.
3- Valerie Sagun @biggalyoga
Yoga- from what we see in modern media is all crop tops and thin bodies. But in reality yoga can and should be practiced by anyone and everyone with a body! Its benefits are endless- clarity of mind, detox, relaxation, flexibility, strength, balance & so much more! Big Gal Yoga is a combination of inspirational, raw and honest captions and poses I can only dream of conquering.
4- Taylor Giavasis @thenakediaries
I have spoken about this place before, and here we go again. In Sydney (where I live) there is this women’s pool and it is my absolute favourite place in history. I try and get there a few times a week for a topless swim. It’s kind of like my religion and I swear I have a spiritual awakening every, damn, time I am there. There is a) nothing like swimming without a bikini on, b) nothing like being in nature and totally free and appreciating getting a spare minute to do the thing you love most (mine is 100% swimming, or floating) and c) nothing like seeing bodies, of all shapes, sizes, colours, imperfections, perfections & with varying degrees of gravity exposure to make you love yourself. And not in a creepy comparison way, but in a way that you truly realise ALL BODIES ARE BEAUTIFUL. Wow I literally just had tears in my eyes writing that. So. This account is truly that. Taylor is on a mission to show all bodies for what they are, and to celebrate them and love them. It is a judgement & hate free zone, full of inspirational and very personal stories from all over the world. LOVE. Thank you Taylor you are doing amazing work!
5- Gala Darling @galadarling
Pink. Glitter. Gratefulness. Self Adoration. <—– Gala Darling in 5 words. Because we all need a good healthy dollop of all of these things in our lives. Gala Darling is a woman preaching the self love message and has developed courses (I am currently working through 3 of them!), classes, workshops, newsletters and an amazing blog all about this crazy idea of Radical Self Love! It’s not so crazy though is it! The first, longest and most important relationship you will ever have is with yourself. And life can never have enough rainbows. Her e-courses cant come more highly recommended.
6- Tess Holliday @tessholliday
SLAY QUEEN TESS. Tess is one of the absolute hottest women I follow on Instagram. I love her curves. I love her confidence. I love her conviction. I love her persistence. I love her hair <3 Tess has modelled all over the world and proves that confidence, beauty & sexuality cannot be defined or confined to certain dress sizes. I truly believe she has done so much for the issues of body shaming and this is constantly shown through what she says and does. She also has the cutest lil family, and kittens. KITTENS.
7- @effyourbeautystandards
This account was actually created by Tess Holliday and is now run by a collective of body positive humans with the sole mission of fostering a culture of love and acceptance. It is a mix of shots, quotes and reposts from followers all which show the beauty of all bodies, uplift and inspire. This account features all cultures, ethnicities, disabilities, men, women and LGBTQ people. Intersectionality YUS! They have a strict no hate policy and I love that.
8- Emily Nolan @mykindoflife_em
“Write your own definition of beauty, make sure it includes you” Creator of such hashtags as #healthybellyselfie and #womensupportingwomen I absolutely love Emily’s message. Just a gal, living life, sharing her thoughts and celebrating her body for being healthy and able. She shares her routines and workouts, and speaks in a way which is so relatable! As a woman recovering from an eating disorder (as so many woman are in this world of high pressure societal beauty constructs) she speaks of working out to feel strong and the bravest most honest version of herself. AMEN. Something we should all aspire too.
9- Kelvin @notoriouslydapper
Kelvin declares himself as a Body Positive Man Model and I love it when he pops up in my newsfeed! The man looks damn good in suit (or a beanie, or a hat, or some short shorts!)! His feed is mostly fashion and outfits but it is a wonderful feed to follow. Self love and body positivity is not just an issue for women!
10- Janet Mock @janetmock
“I will proudly and unapolagetically embrace that part of my identity that I was taught growing up to be silent and ashamed about.” We all struggle with shame around certain parts of our body, life or identity- but not all experiences are the same and some struggle more than others. Some people can easily receive help, guidance or understanding when for many this is not an option and it is so important to recognise this. Janet Mock is such an inspirational woman (can you tell I am inspired by everyone on this list!) to me and to many others. Janet was born Charles, a son- but knew from age 4 she was female. She is a trans woman, who is a regular contributor to Marie Claire, has written a New York Times bestseller- Redefining Realness and hosts a weekly talk show So POPular. Absolutely killing it Janet!
As you can tell, my Instagram feed is made up of a range of inspirational souls (and lots of vegan food accounts!) Do you have anyone you follow who is you find inspirational? Leave a comment below I would love to hear from you!
Hope this has brightened up your day!
xx Nicola Marie!