Body positivity and self love are so important if we want to live rich, joyful lives full of wonder and laughter.

For those who have struggled with negative self-talk their entire lives, and finally overcome it, it's only natural that they want to share what they've learnt with others.

Over the years we have seen a rise in the body positive movement all over the world.

What is the body positive movement? 

It's a movement that teaches people that health, happiness and beauty are not a matter of size, colour or shape.

It encourages people to accept themselves and others around them, no matter how they look physically, and how their unique traits differ from society's standards of beauty.

It aims to make people aware of the harmful effects that diet culture, social media and advertising can have on a person's mental health.

Thanks to the body positivity movement and the beautiful, confident, curvy models putting themselves out there, we are starting to see great diversity in models on catwalks, in magazines and on TV shows.

Want to learn how to promote a positive body image and join other body positive activists?

Follow these 5 steps. 

• Connect With Others
• Tell Your Story
• Use Your Voice
• Start A Blog
• Start A Workshop

Connect With Others

Work out who your audience is, and who needs the support. 

Start small and look around you - maybe your friends and family, neighbours, or colleagues need  someone spreading body positive vibes to get energy and inspiration from.

Perhaps your mother has a bad habit talking down about herself, or obsessively following every diet trend that she reads in the Sunday paper? You could help her to shift her focus and to improve her relationship with herself and food.

Be a role model in how you speak and act, and be there to support those close to you, reminding them of all the beautiful things about them.

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Tell Your Story

This can be done through different avenues. 

Is it a letter that you have written to yourself about your journey, or perhaps a picture you've taken of yourself wearing your favourite swimsuit? Is it a story of how you changed your relationship with exercise, and now move for the love of it, instead of to change yourself?

You can share this with your friends and family to begin with, and once you build up confidence, you can you take it further and share this on your own social media.

Don't feel bad about starting small, as encouraging just one person to learn from your example and adopt a positive body image can make such a difference.

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Use Your Voice

There are ways to promote positive body image and self worth in everyday life. 

If you are going to the shops or to work, take the time to support others with positive comments. Simply saying “I love that shirt you are wearing”, or “you did a great job of that”, are positive affirmations that will give others confidence. 

You never know how much small comments can make a difference, sometimes people who seem confident are actually quite insecure. Your small gestures can really start building self confidence for others.

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Start A Blog

Blog writing and sharing your insight on how to promote body positivity is a great way for others to develop similar skills.

Things you could include in your blog are:

• Daily inspirations
• Positive self body image quotes
• Links to positive body image Instagrammers
• Details of your journey to help encourage positive body image in others
• Educational content about how to have a joyful relationship with food, exercise and overall health
• Interviews with people in your community sharing their stories
• Downloadable ebooks packed with wisdom

Why not have a Q&A section, where people can ask you questions and you can share your experience?

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Start A Workshop

This could be with a group of friends or co-workers, but it could also be bigger, coming from your growth of your social media or blog.

You could start off with a free workshop, ran over 4 weeks, and then those that have success with your help would naturally spread the word and tell others.

This is how many small body positive activists started, and have since become huge influencers in the body positivity movement.

Discover a world of body loving babes on Instagram.