By: Cassandra Nordal The mental weight of body shaming can be heavy. In today’s world where we are surrounded by social media telling us how to look, how to feel and how to act, the newest face product to keep us looking young, the hottest aesthetics trend, and how big muscles need to be, how do we keep up? But what if it isn’t just social media we are battling; what if it was coming from a loved one like a family member or friend? It’s a beautiful day out, you are gathered with your family and having a nice evening barbeque. The grill is going and you are SO excited to dive into those burgers and fries. You grab your plate, you grab your food and sit down, you are fighting with the drool coming out of your mouth and you go to take that big bite and your uncle sitting across from you says, “I thought you said you were going on a diet? Should you be eating that? It doesn’t look like you need it,” and there. It. Is. Your heart sinks, your face starts feeling warm, your tears are building up. You are attending a wedding; you purchased a dress and you feel incredible in it. You feel and look amazing, you show up and your friend says “You know, that dress is not flattering on you, you look a little pregnant.” If this has happened to you, you need to know that this is toxic behaviour and it is not okay. This type of talk promotes an obsession with body size and shape, and reinforces the idea that our worth should be determined by what we see in the mirror. It can impact our mental health significantly. Here are some ways you can respond to your family or friends when this happens: Communicate Let them know that what they said wasn’t appropriate or acceptable. You need to tell them how you feel immediately. Make it known to them that you felt disrespected. Sometimes, people don’t realize how they can come across. It could be an honest mistake. But letting them know that what they said affected you, lets them know that it was not okay and it made you uncomfortable. If they care about your relationship, this will encourage them to stop saying those things. Educate A lot of times, some people don’t realize the effect their comments have on others. Maybe they are uneducated in the impact of these comments on your mental health. So have an honest conversation about it with them; try not to react even though its difficult. Communication is very beneficial. Remove Okay, this has happened how many times now? Enough is enough. If you have tried communicating with this person and they still are not respecting you then you need to look at this relationship. You need to be honest with them and tell them that this type of behaviour will no longer be accepted by you anymore. This does not happen overnight. It can take a while to work through this difficult situation. Relationships of any kind are trying sometimes. But I do know one thing, it may be one of the most difficult things you do, but if these people are not benefitting you and doing more harm than good, then you need to consider a decision to remove them from your life. It’s not going to be easy, especially if you are related, but it may be more beneficial to you in the long run than staying silent and taking the abuse. You need to take care of yourself and there’s no time like the present to put yourself first. If you would like to talk to a mental health professional, contact Kelly Mental Health to start your journey. You are not alone.
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OverviewNWO’s source for all things relationships, mental health, wellness, lifestyle, and pandemic support. Kelly Magazine is a mental health outreach initiative created by Kelly Mental Health and supported by Kelly Mental Health Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the community in the area of mental health.
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