Written by Carrie-Beth Blackburn
For those of us still mid-way through our third lockdown we can almost taste the endless Mojito’s we’re going to order sat in our favourite rooftop bar wearing that dress we ordered around about a year ago. Since the announcement that we’ll be released from our homes to enjoy those finer things in life, there’s been a slow shift in attitude towards body positivity. There have been numerous posts across social media platforms emphasizing the need to glow up before the lockdown ends and the pressure to roll out yoga mats to complete the newest edition of Chloe Ting’s two-week shred is intimidating.
Exercise is undeniably a great mental and physical health booster. The fact of the matter is there’s a big pressure to come out of lockdown as a new and improved person and we get it, it’s a new start and the end of lockdown for good, (hopefully.) What does it mean to ‘glow up’ anyway? The Urban Dictionary defines the glow up process as ‘focuses on the improvement of physical appearance, individual style, overall attractiveness’. If you’re feeling the pressure to somehow transform your entire image in a matter of months there are a few ways to approach the change more positively.
Reassess who you’re following.
Let’s face it, we’ve all had those days sprawled out on the sofa and spending countless hours scrolling through Instagram and TikTok feeling guilty about not looking like the fitness models dominating our screens. Your social media feed should be a positive and inspiring escape, so unfollow anyone that might make you feel like you need to live up to certain beauty standards. There has been a spike in body positive influencers since the pandemic began and they’re normalising the fact that weight gain and break outs are things that are to be expected right now.
Invest in time offline.
We’ve got a lot going on in our heads right now, so focusing on our mental wellbeing should be a top priority. If social media takes up all of our time, it’s easy to lose sight of our interests and things that make us who we are.
Take time out of your day to do something you enjoy, whether that’s making yet another banana bread or giving more time for that before-bed skincare routine.
Move in a way that makes you feel good.
No pain no gain, right? Wrong. You really don’t have to be dripping in sweat and struggling to walk after exercising to reap the benefits and it’s completely normal to be feeling worn down right now. Simple things like taking a longer walk, dancing or taking a few vinyasas in the morning will benefit your body and your mind – The abs can wait a little longer.
The internet might be telling you to do more with all of this extra time that’s been granted to us, but just getting through the next few months with a positive state of mind is enough. Think about the last few months as an opportunity for small steps of growth.
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