How to Conquer Bathing Suit Anxiety
Bathing suit anxiety is incredibly circumstantial. Here are 5 ways to conquer it ahead of the summer.
When I think of the first time I ever experienced bathing suit anxiety, I think of the locker room in the country club my aunt used to take us to. I distinctly remember the wet linoleum floors and the stall doors that had two inch gaps between them, making it impossible for you to feel like you had any privacy at all. By the pool, I remember holding my stomach in as I took the towel away from my body and being hyper aware that I had way too many mosquito bites in my legs. That was then, this is now.
I have always been a water baby. I love water so much that I cannot let my anxiety bar me from truly enjoying these spaces, so instead I have become committed to understanding why I feel bathing suit anxiety. With time, I have realized that bathing suit anxiety doesn’t leave you completely, regardless of how advanced you are in the self-acceptance and self-love journey. It is INCREDIBLY dependent on the circumstance you are in. For example, if you are in front of people you don’t know well but perhaps you care what they think about you, you are going to feel anxious (check this blog on a similar experience with coworkers). Likewise, if you decide to come out wearing a swimsuit after everyone else has or are the only one wearing a swimsuit (any other water babies out there?), it will be awkward. What we get right is that people are going to stare, it's a biological reflex, especially when it comes to other people’s bodies. What we get wrong is how long or how deep others think about our bodies or a specific part of our bodies.
Before we let our minds spiral trying to figure out what will everyone think, here is what has worked for our community to conquer bathing suit anxiety:
- Surround yourself with people who make you feel proud and confident. You know, that friend that encourages you to show off more when you are on the fence.
- Nurture your body and mind with positive affirmations each day. Double down when you are about to wear swimsuits, so bathing suit anxiety doesn’t come knocking on your door.
- Be kind and patient with yourself, purging your mind of negative self-talk takes time and consistency. Rome wasn’t built in a day .
- Think back on a time when health-wise you were not feeling great. Embrace and thank your body for your health and all that it has accomplished in your life.
- Celebrate your diversity, individuality and strength. This will help you build confidence that will inspire others to do the same. If you need a step in the right direction, buy a MIGA swimsuit that empowers you to do just that here.
Whether you are anxious about cellulite in your legs, body hair or not being a size 0, whatever it is, remind yourself that you are not alone. 79% of Americans feel unhappy with how they look, 32% when wearing a bathing suit. With a number that high, we can find peace in numbers but we should also start questioning why is it so high? Are we a cog in the machine of self-loathing? You know who benefits from peddling insecurities and it is not you. Conquer bathing suit anxiety and do the radical thing today by loving your body as is.