Get body confident with Pink Parcel and BIC

This month it’s time to get body confident with Pink Parcel and BIC.

Fed up of hiding behind your go-to Snapchat filter? Or using Instagram likes as a currency that defines your self-worth? Why not listen to the advice of Body Confidence Coach Michelle Elman, who seeks to redefine our sense of values and self-perception through her campaign with Pink Parcel.

Increasingly important this season, where seemingly perfect pictures of bikini clad women dominate our news-feed, the The Pink Parcel x BIC BodyConfidence Campaign’s goal is to focus not on how you look, but how you feel. Aware that these many images on social media may be thought out, well angled and flatteringly lit, Michelle shares her top tips on how a woman can navigate these warped, and often unreal, ideals and take back control of a our relationship with our bodies.

Stop comparing yourself to others

Don’t let social media undermine your perception of on your own life, Michelle suggests. Negative feelings are a result of viewing everything through a superficial, heightened lens – the pictures picked only from the glossy highlight reel. What’s ignored is all the stuff in between. Those everyday, dull moments in everyone’s life – the arguments with partners, Netflix nights, the spot cream, the sweats. ‘Don’t compare your entire life on a snapshot’ says Michelle, quoting Oscar Wilde’s motto ‘Be YOURSELF because everyone else is taken’ as great advice for morale. Appreciate your unique gifts and talents rather than envying those of other people – celebrating yourself is not being arrogant but is the key to self-confidence.

Love YOU

Change your inner dialogue by focussing on your assets not your flaws. Michelle encourages us to be proud that our bodies can do x, y, and z. She gives the example of a new mum, who may be getting used to a few extra pounds on her body, but should be proud that she carried and gave birth to another human. Our bodies are designed to carry out certain functions so be amazed at its unique capacities. This extends to giving yourself compliments. Just as you might take the time to compliment a friend, colleague or family member, make time to think of yourself objectively too. When you do this you’ll realise there’s actually a lot to like – identify your favourite feature, skill or talent and truly appreciate it. This could be done by writing it on a post-it or in a journal.

Take a break

Make some time for you! Why not distance yourself from the source by unplugging from the net for a bit. A digital detox may give you a refreshed perspective and instead you can tune into yourself – discovering your real wants and needs. This may be a pampering session or a gruelling workout – either way it’s a choice made by you and not external pressures from the online world.