One of the issues that contribute to body image is body shaming; both the subtle and the pronounced ones. Body image is not independent. A lot of factors contribute to how a person chooses to see themselves through the lens of their bodies, and body shaming is one of them. People have their expectations of what the ideal body should look like and they're quick to project those expectations on people who don't seem to match them. In this episode, I shared some of the body shaming experiences I've had as a skinny girl, and how some of them contributed in my already poor self-esteem. I talk about how body shaming causes you to doubt and question yourself. If you've ever been on the receiving end of body shaming remarks, you can relate to how limiting it can be, and I'm sure you'll be able to relate to some of the things in talked about in this episode. And if you're ready to learn how to deal with it, then you're in the right place! Here are the things I talked about in this episode: • How body shaming makes you doubt and question yourself. You analyze comments so much that you begin to wonder if it's correct. • How to navigate these comments and deal with the toxicity. Understanding that these comments do not define you. • Why building a positive body image is important in navigating bad comments. Even if you don't completely love your body, building a positive body image helps you live a confident and happy life • Beauty standards are constantly changing and I talked about how this points to the fact that they're not important enough for you to hinge your self-esteem on • How to set boundaries and not accept demeaning comments and jokes about your body • Ensuring that you are not contributing to body shaming culture; to yourself and to other people • Lastly, I talked about what body shaming is not. Other resources mentioned in this episode: *Building Confidence 101: Assertiveness https://anchor.fm/buildyourselfesteem/episodes/Building-Confidence-101-Assertiveness-eo7q8s *Handling Confrontations 1 & 2 https://anchor.fm/buildyourselfesteem/episodes/Handling-Confrontations-PT1-e1464bu https://anchor.fm/buildyourselfesteem/episodes/Handling-Confrontations-PT-2-e14v710 *PIDGIN ENGLISH: A local Nigerian language. For further questions and enquiries, reach out to me here: Instagram: www.instagram.com/ayanpella/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_ayanpella Email: ayantemeetope@gmail.com Like this show? Please, leave a review, it goes a long way. Thank you!