It is normal to feel overwhelmed by beauty standards in a world where social media and advertising often pressure people to look alike.
It could be hard to overcome this feeling of not looking like the other women on television and in adverts, but it is not impossible.
Beauty Standards 101
Why do Beauty Standards Exist?
Well, this is a tough question to answer, but what we know for sure is that beauty standards are societal norms that define what is considered attractive or desirable.
If you think deeply about it, this sounds ridiculous to humans. Plus, media, culture, and advertising often influence beauty standards.
Could all these strict rules be promoted by huge beauty companies and a society used to labeling it all?
Unfortunately, we can’t be sure about this, but many people, especially women, have unrealistic expectations about how they should look. Body shape, facial features, skin tone, and aging are just a few worries women can have.
Impact of Beauty Standards
The ugly part about all this is that these standards can deeply negatively influence people’s lives. They can lead to:
- Low Self-Esteem: Constantly comparing to idealized and probably faked-photoshopped images can considerably affect self-worth.
- Body Dysmorphia: Obsessing over what’s called “flaws” can result in body dysmorphic disorders for no reason. You can be completely healthy and still feel not attractive.
- Unhealthy Behaviors: Dieting, excessive exercise, or cosmetic procedures can seem tempting when you suffer from these unrealistic standards. This is an international matter; global eating disorders increased from 3.4% to 7.8% between 2000 and 2018. Recognizing the influence these standards have on you is the first step to starting a positive change.
Strategies for Resistance
You are Unique, and That is Beautiful
- One of the main problems of having such strict and globally perpetuated standards is that individual and genuine beauty gets lost in the way.
- Instead of trying to fit into this rigid mold, focus on what makes you unique.
- You surely have some aspects of yourself that you like.
- Concentrate on those to start changing the relationship you have with your self-esteem.
Challenge Unrealistic Standards
- You won’t be able to switch to a more positive perspective if you don’t challenge the current beauty standard.
- Firstly, you need to learn a bit about this. Consider reading about old beauty standards and how they changed and affected other people’s lives.
- This can give you a more global and general idea of what you are going through and relativize the importance you are currently giving to beauty standards.
Build a Loving Environment for Yourself
- This might be the hardest part, but the people and messages surrounding you will surely interfere with how you see yourself.
- Make sure your friends and family support you and treat you with kindness. We are not saying you should distance yourself from them if they typically comment on other people’s appearance, but you should start paying attention.
- If someone is being actively negative towards you, consider having a conversation or finishing the relationship with them.
- Finally, avoid following and consuming content online that shows and encourages unrealistic beauty standards.
- Actually, you should do the opposite, start following people that make you feel good and that you resonate with. There are tons of brands and influencers sharing positive messages through social media apps and you can filter all the content you are exposed to.
Easy Tips for Self-Love
Develop a Healthy Mindset
Your mindset plays a key role in how you perceive yourself. Try these instead of being harsh on yourself:
- Practice Self-Compassion: Treat yourself just as you would treat someone you love. It makes sense.
- Don’t Underestimate Your Virtues: Regularly remind yourself of your qualities and worth. Not only the physical ones but also your personality and character. After all, humans can’t separate our bodies from our souls.
- Challenge Negative Thoughts: Every time negative thoughts about yourself appear, and you start bullying yourself, stop! This is a mental exercise; yes, you must practice to master it.
Engage in Self-Care
- Show yourself some love; this will affect your self-esteem, even if it seems silly. Take care of your nutrition and your body but in a positive way.
- Do it when you feel like it and for the right purposes. Every time you eat healthy or exercise, it should be because you want to and not as a punishment.
- Self-care is not just about appearance; it’s about nurturing your whole self.
Educate Yourself on Beauty Marketing
- Understanding how media and marketing shape perceptions of beauty can empower you to understand how ridiculous it is to suffer because of them.
- When you see ads or influencers that make you feel insecure, ask yourself what’s behind that and how to protect yourself. Train yourself to spot negative messages and start not caring about them.
- As much as we wish to be completely safe from these negative messages, sometimes we can not escape them. It is deeply important to think critically about these matters.
Protect Your Digital Well-Being Too
- In this modern age, protecting your online data and privacy is as important as protecting your mental health. Both are linked somehow; engaging with online content ensures you are well-protected.
- Involve as much as possible in safe practices and investigate all the tools you can use to prevent an unfortunate event.
- Some simple tools, like a VPN, can make a huge difference. If you want to know what a virtual private network is, visit a VPN company’s website and learn more about it.
Conclusion
Growing up in a society so worried about beauty standards can shape the thoughts of everyone and create negative feelings about themselves.
Don’t be sad if you are one of these people; it is hard to avoid being influenced by them. We are constantly being bombed by social media and the beauty market with unrealistic and cruel images showing us how we must look.
You are not alone in this process; many people are looking for change and to challenge beauty standards.
Hopefully, and with time, society will understand that there is no logical reason for standards to dictate how people should look.