Body image has been something I’ve struggled with. I’m a Caribbean girl and in our culture we find it normal to judge someone based on their appearance. When we see each other, it’s not: “How are you?” but any variation of “You got big/you got fat/you got skinny/looks like life has been treating you well” etc. So having a good body image was a struggle for me. I have an ample bottom. Growing up in part in a predominantly white society made my body image even more twisted, because in my days, a J-LO body wasn’t the thing. Oh, had I only know how sought after my booty would become. This meant that sexually I also had all these hang-ups and fears, which I soon learned were all for nothing. This #NakedNovember I hope to set you on your way to look more positively at yourself as well.
#NakedNovember is about body image
Body image has to do with how you look at yourself and how attractive you find yourself. It is based on 4 aspects: how you see yourself, how you feel about what you see, your thoughts and beliefs about what you look like and what you do because of this (how you behave because of this). The way you see yourself isn’t based on fact. You see yourself through your perception, which means other people may not see the same thing when looking at you. Your image can be positive or negative. Positivity is important, because without it you will experience lower self-esteem. When you aren’t hating on yourself, it is easier to do healthy things for good reasons. Lastly, the impact of society is less when someone has better body image. You can accept yourself for who you are and what you look like.
But why #NakedNovember?
Remember how I said that a more negative body image messes with your self-esteem? Well, turns out there is something called sexual self-esteem. And if you doubt yourself, sexually speaking you will be less likely to feel pleasure, experience desire etc. Your sexual satisfaction is severely impacted by low self-esteem (this for men and women!). So, #NakedNovember is necessary for us to build on making sure that your self-esteem and by extension, sexual self-esteem is ready for more sexual satisfaction. This month we will be focusing on viewing our bodies different, changing our thoughts in order to be more positive and thus have higher self-esteem.
How to get the most out of this month
First of all, we will actually be getting naked this month. One of the major issues with your body image sexually is the fact that you cannot hide in clothing and thus you start feeling vulnerable. We have to make sure you are comfortable clothed and naked, and so, this month you are gonna go around being naked. All. The. Time. Well, at home at least. It is important to feel comfortable. We are also going to focus on our self-talk. Too much of it is negative. Let’s attempt some positivity. Every day you need to spend 5 minutes in front of the mirror and focus on positive things, for example “My arms are strong and have carried two babies”. You will also do an exercise with your partner, letting them tell you what they find most beautiful and not fighting the compliments but simply saying ‘thank you”.
Good luck with these new exercises for you to do. Remember that I am an email away in case you have any questions. Have a great #NakedNovember!
