Ladies, let’s talk self love...
As women, learning exactly how to love your body can be difficult. There’s social media, old stereotypes and then there’s good old self-doubt. Well, we’re here to tell you that self love is important, girls! Practicing self love on a regular basis is super healthy, especially when you have a few challenges in the way. That doesn’t make you self-absorbent or narcissistic, by the way, it just means that you care about YOU, as do we! There is no limit on how much you can practice self love...ever.
As part of our mission to #RedefineNormal and the release of our new colour-ways across our T-Shirt Bra Collection, we sat down with some of our Female Family to ask them what ‘normal’ means to them. If learning to love your body is something that you struggle with, don’t worry - we’ve got you covered (as always)!
We talked all things womanhood, including self love, learning to love your body and our Female Family's idea of ‘normal’. Besides, nothing is ever off the cards!
What does a 'normal' day look like for you?
A normal day for me is being woken up at the crack of dawn by my 4 year-old to start with, haha! I'll empty my bag again (after a few times in the night). I'll get washed and dressed and I'm ready to start work! So, I'll work all day whilst entertaining the little one in between and when I'm finished it's quality family time! Then once the little one is in bed it's time to relax. Oh, and I constantly remind myself to stay hydrated as I don't drink enough water. Because I have no colon, I can't absorb or hydrate easily so fatigue can be a bit of a killer.
What do you love most about your body?
That's a hard question, I definitely love that my body allowed me to carry a child. I was told my likelihood of conceiving was low and to prepare myself for fertility treatments. However, we were blessed with a natural pregnancy that I could not thank my body enough for. A close second would be my bag - it saved my life! How can I not love it?
What advice would you give to someone struggling to fit in with society’s idea of ‘normal’?
That if we all were what society deemed as ‘normal’ then the world would be a boring place. We are all different, we enjoy different food, music, clothes, we have different hobbies too! Even if we ate the exact same food, trained the same, we'd still be different. I say, be true to yourself and be what makes you happy. Once you find that happiness within yourself, you start to no longer care what others think.
How has your ‘normal’ changed during the pandemic?
If I'm being honest, it hasn't changed much! I just recently went back to work after surgery so I was used to the ‘lockdown life’ anyway. I would say we have lots more family time which I'm absolutely loving! Also, working from home has been a blessing for me. I've been very lucky in that respect so my work routine hasn't changed much at all. If anything, I'm more active, I walk a lot more because I think it's important to have some fresh air and to get moving! Working from home, it can be easy to move less but other than that, I think my normal has pretty much remained the same.
If you had to describe your day to day life in 3 words, what would they be?
Rewarding, tiring, purposeful.
What does a 'normal' day look like for you?
A normal day for me would start around 10am as my condition (Joint Hypermobility Syndrome) causes a lot of fatigue! I’ll then make a big coffee and sit down at my laptop to see what orders from my small business (Invisible Illness Squad) I’ll be processing today!
After another coffee, I’ll take myself down to the local post office to drop the day’s parcels off. How I get there depends on how my hips are feeling as they are worse affected by my condition which causes instability and excess ‘wear and tear’ in the joints. I’ll either use a walking stick, powerchair or nothing if I’m feeling lucky to take the 15 minute walk into town. After dropping the parcels off, I’m likely to be very fatigued so I’ll go for a two hour nap!
Luckily, working for myself means no one gets mad if I fall asleep in the middle of the work day! The fatigue is caused by my body constantly (in vain) trying to repair what’s wrong, and is unavoidable, so I’ve just accepted it into my life and work around it. When I wake up, I’ll log onto Instagram and see what’s happening with the online community of people with disabilities and invisible illnesses that I’m thankful to be a part of.
I began my account mostly to force myself out of denial of being a young person who has to use mobility aids. Now, I try and work to normalise this image. In the evening, I like to relax by playing video games and watching Netflix, as well as catching up with friends and family when I can. Then it’s time for an early night, ready to redefine ‘normal’ all again tomorrow!
What do you love most about your body?
Ironically, probably my legs! Although they cause me a lot of pain and I used to wish they were shorter as a 6ft tall 15 year-old, I now embrace wearing heels when I can and making the most of them! It’s completely normal to have mixed, even contrasting feelings about parts of yourself!
What advice would you give to someone struggling to fit in with society’s idea of ‘normal’?
It’s important to look at the people around you who love you and realise that they would feel the same even if you weighed less or didn’t have mobility issues etc. Would you feel differently about a person if they had the ‘flaw’ you think you have? Probably not! We really can be our own harshest critics.
How has your ‘normal’ changed during the pandemic?
Before the pandemic, I had just finished my studies and was working as a model, shooting for companies who were either advertising an inclusive product, or who felt it was important to be diverse in their advertising. However, all pre-booked shoots were quickly called off due to Coronavirus. Although this was disappointing, it gave me the opportunity to step back and take the time to start my own small business, which I ultimately launched in May 2020! During my studies, especially before getting my powerchair, I was used to spending most days inside and working due to my physical limitations. This meant I was uniquely placed to adapt to a locked down world!
If you had to describe your day to day life in 3 words, what would they be?
Unexpected, adapted, thriving!
What does a 'normal' day look like for you?
I am a Cabin Crew Hostess for a travelling company so a normal day for me starts with waking up and thanking God for another day. I get myself ready for work with continuous positive thoughts and affirmations. I always always do a spotless and natural makeup with a red lip and the final piece is the uniform which I love. I love my job because I am part of the experience of all my passengers and I make their journeys memorable.
What do you love most about your body?
What I love most about my body is the hourglass shape (100% natural). I wasn’t always confident with my body but it took me 21 years to learn how to love all of me. Now, I can honestly say that I love myself.
What advice would you give to someone struggling to fit in with society’s idea of ‘normal’?
I am living proof of the ugly duckling transforming into a graceful swan. The bullies made me stronger and guess what? People are often uncomfortable with individuals who do not fit into ‘society’s idea of normal’ so be you! Stay you! One day, you will transform into a beautiful swan and people will end up following your normal.
How has your ‘normal’ changed during the pandemic?
My normal is still the same, to be honest. I still have the same struggles as before. However, I am more grateful for my life, my health and my family since the pandemic. I now realise that no matter how rich you are, money cannot buy you health! Eating healthy and having a balanced lifestyle is key to building a strong immune system to fight against viruses.
If you had to describe your day to day life in 3 words, what would they be?
Glam, smiles, love.
Loungers, we want to know what your normal looks like...
Let us know in the comments below!