think that this time of social distancing and quarantine has been an opportunity for self-reflection, self-care, self-love, and self-acceptance. But for some, it may have been the opposite, leading to moments of self-destructive behavior.
If we really think about it: how many times in our lives have we truly been alone with ourselves? With our thoughts, insecurities, fears, worries, likes, and dislikes? Before the pandemic, when we had destructive thoughts, we could escape them—go somewhere, distract ourselves, and avoid facing them. Now, we are stuck with all of our thoughts and feelings.
So, what can we do with ourselves? With the fears we’ve created? With the insecurities that have become more apparent during this time?
On my Instagram, I often talk about self-love and accepting ourselves—not just our bodies, but also our origins, roots, circumstances, and stories. But to be honest, just because I talk about this doesn’t mean I always feel good about myself. There are days when I question myself, when I compare myself to others, and during this long quarantine, I’ve had several of those days. There have been weeks when I’ve demanded too much from myself, but thankfully, there have been other weeks where I’ve found balance.
I think these weeks have been a time when we’ve put too much pressure on ourselves, thinking we are somehow "bad" because of who we are. But that’s not true. We are perfectly imperfect, and we don’t need to be someone else, live another life, or have a different body to live.
One of the lessons this pandemic can teach us is that, to "live," we just need to be alive. That’s it. To live the day, we need to be present in the moment. We don’t need to think about what may or may not happen tomorrow. We don’t need to reach our ideal weight, have abs, a small waist, perfect skin, or eliminate cellulite or loose skin to live well.
Our insecurities are useless during this quarantine. They don’t protect us, they don’t help us—they only limit us. We create labels that prevent us from living our lives to the fullest.
If today were your last day on Earth, do you think you truly lived to the fullest? Do you think having the "perfect" waist or getting rid of your stretch marks made that possible?
I don’t think so.
~ Isi [ isisorensen ]
