In Our Own Skin's
Body Image Team
We live in a world where we are encouraged to constantly improve and strive for the “ideal.” Whether it’s in our jobs, how much money we have, or in our appearance. how we look on the outside has become the most commonly perceived indicator of our “health" and our “worth.” When we struggle to attain what we believe is the “right” body, we tend to blame ourselves.
The “In Our Own Skin” collection is a combined effort to change the way we think about body image and our health. With a diverse group of writers from varying ethnic backgrounds and gender identities, we hope to start a conversation around the complex ideas and questions that come along with varying perspectives of body image.
How do you practice body kindness and self care, while living in a larger body?
How do we find a balance between what makes us feel good and what we are told is healthy?
How, if at all, has does body image play a role in our life?
These questions and more are what we hope to explore with you, as we share our own journeys and thoughts on something that affects so much of us everyday. We hope to discover how to feel more comfortable living in our own skin.
A recent chain of events that has led me to, dare I say it... feel good about myself again.
Holiday photo ops carry a mostly nice sentiment, but can also be a reminder of our body insecurities.
Do you ever just read or hear something and immediately the connection you have with it is soul-affirming?
When do children stop trying being themselves and start striving to be like others, judging those who are not alike?
I still feel the need to have an extra change of clothes, or avoid being sweaty for extended periods of time around other people.
You never know who deals with the same things you do. Anything you’re going through can be worked through.
Every woman looks differently, grows babies differently, and experiences pregnancy and childbirth differently.
My mental and physical health remains in a constant state of limbo; some days are better than others.
We may not get back to where we once were, but we can fight to get closer to where we want to be.
How do you feel? No but really. How. Do. You. Feel?
What rings true for so many parents is the desire to protect our children from the things we’ve struggled with ourselves.
It’s amazing how much of a difference facial hair can make in terms of the way we view someone’s physical appearance.
Senior citizens are deserving of more respect, dignity, and reverence than they are given.
Getting fit is hard. Even tougher is getting back into shape after falling out of a routine.
Would our perceptions of ourselves change if the things we were watching told us differently?
You can choose to see the beauty and strength in yourself and others, because we all have it.
After a few shirts start to stretch, you realize you may have put on a little more than “a few pounds.”
I’ve spent much of my life being uncomfortable with my body, but what I have learned isn’t for nothing.
Remember when movement consisted of having fun? This is what movement should be like, always.
When did we become so hard on ourselves and making excuses about the way we look?
The vocabulary we use to describe a person or group of people is important.
The things that negative body image steals from us on a daily basis is something we shouldn’t have to accept.
I wanted to feel what the fresh air was like, and it was truly liberating.
We can’t help how much space we take up, but we can all be considerate of each other’s space.
On the day when we celebrate freedom, it can be a struggle not to be trapped by the urge to overeat.
Sharing a meal is just as much an opportunity to talk, as it is to listen.
For a long time I thought being thin was the key to my happiness. It wasn’t.
There have been a lot of struggles in my life, especially when it has come to loving myself.
It’s hard to look in the mirror and like what I see, but I am beautiful because I decided that I am.
You have to find your own reasons to overcome the negative way you see and feel about yourself.