Being more body positive this Christmas

Do you dread Christmas parties because of the judgmental comments you get on how you look? Body shaming happens – even during Christmas! I know because I’ve been at the receiving end one too many times. The sad reality is that we can’t change the world but we can have our own back. Here are four ideas to be more body positive over the holidays.

Take a double dose of self-love

Self-love is important all year around but more so during the holidays. As you get your Christmas spirit on, remind yourself that it’s a time for love, kindness and giving. And it applies to you as well. Embrace your body just the way it is because it is beautiful. Make time for self-care. Be grateful for all the amazing little things that makes you special – like your abilities, personality, attitude and achievements. When you know your own value, what others think or say about your body image isn’t going to matter.

Let negative comments go right over your head

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and have the right to express them. But if those opinions don’t serve you, why bother with them? Ignore them – blatantly. That’s their version of reality, not yours.

I know what it’s like to be greeted at a Christmas party with ‘oh you’ve put on so much weight!’ or ‘that dress makes you look big’. They made me feel incredibly sad and upset once. Last Christmas, I make a conscious decision to not let these negative comments affect me. I put it down to the other person being insensitive and thoughtless. And I soon realised those comments was a reflection of that person’s ignorance. I embraced my body image. It was perfect for me as it was, and that’s all that mattered.

‘When they go low, we go high’ – Michelle Obama

When faced with negative or downright hurtful comments, it’s easy to be tempted to respond in the same mean spirit – trust me, I know. You want to tell them ‘have you looked in the mirror lately?’. In these moments, I try to be wise like Michelle Obama and take the high road instead. Because if we stoop to the same low standards of body shamers, that makes us one of them. It doesn’t mean we take all blows with our head bent low – not at all. It means standing up for ourselves in a positive way.

Next time someone throws a body shaming comment at you, just hit pause, (curse inside your head if you have to! :)), take a breath, smile, and respond calmly – for example you could say ‘thanks but I’m actually pretty happy with how I look’. Burn – but in a nice way!

Practice mindful eating

Good food is a big part of Christmas. Don’t you dare let body shamers stop you from enjoying it! Ignore them and eat mindfully. That means really savoring and enjoying what you eat, eating slowly, listening to your body when you feel full and being treat-wise with the sugary hits. That was my secret weapon last Christmas. It helped me not go for the second helping of pudding for comfort. I enjoyed the food immensely and didn’t have any ‘morning after’ regret from emotional eating. To me, it was Christmas food done right!

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Don’t give anyone else the power to ruin Christmas for you. The simplest trick is to love yourself so fiercely that no body shamer has any hope of bringing you down. Ignore negative comments and be the bigger person. Enjoy the delicious food mindfully. That’s how I plan to be more body positive this Christmas.

How do you plan to be body positive this Christmas? Do you think it’s important?

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_{© Jan Perera 2021. All rights reserved.}

_{© Jan Perera 2020. All rights reserved.}