Body shaming is when someone makes inappropriate or negative comments about their body or shape. You can criticize yourself or others. You might feel unhappy about your body or weight and be harshly critical of yourself. Negative self-talk may be used to make you unhappy about your body or weight. According to Dr (Prof) R K Suri, the Best Clinical Psychologist in India, “Body shaming is increasing in teens on account of “selfie” culture, emphasizes on external beauty,  being constantly flooded with pics of celebrities in social media, magazines, advertisements, TV shows, etc.,  thereby distorting their thinking on physical appearance and any perceived flaws. Teens struggle to live up to these standards and experience negative emotions and judgments about themselves. It often becomes very destructive when it diminishes your self-worth and body image”.  

Body Shaming

People often refer to us as "derogatory" because of our weight. It could be anything from obese, fat, anorexic or flabby, or even skinny. Most of us have experienced body shamers in our lives. It can be difficult to believe that you are beautiful in your own skin when body shamers try to bring you down. Sometimes others bring us down simply because they are lacking something.

Body shaming can even be done in a humorous way by making comments about food or calories. Body shaming can also include giving advice on weight loss or encouraging someone to lose weight. Although they may not want to hurt you, friends and family can sometimes be critical. 

Although everyone is subject to social pressures to be a certain way, it's not necessary to make comments about your body. There are ways to overcome body shame, whether it is done by others or yourself, and to be more compassionate and realistic about yourself. You can also seek professional help and seek Online Counselling to deal with body shaming.

What can you do?

These are some things that you can do to boost your confidence and feel better about yourself.

• Stop hiding and Accept Yourself

It is sad to learn that many people who suffer body shaming keep their secrets from the rest of the world. This can manifest as hiding from others, hiding their bodies or preferring to be invisible. It is not worth living in the shadows. You can't enjoy life if all you worry about is what others might think about you. This shouldn't be a problem. Accept your body and start loving it. Stop hiding!

• Do Something that Makes You Feel Happy, Beautiful, and Accomplished

Spend time with people who are open to you as you are. In the shower, sing at your highest. You are dancing around the room. Go out for lunch. You can watch your favorite movie. You can get a haircut or a manicure. Wear your favorite clothes. Do you love to sew, knit, play chess or joke, bake, or juggle? Everyone has a special talent, so discover what it is that you love and practice it often.

• Take control of your social media.

There are many benefits to social media. It can help you learn new things, and keep in touch with others. You can take control of your stress levels by removing toxic people from your life and unfollowing those who make it difficult to feel good about yourself. You have full control over your social media account. Have a body-positive feed instead. Follow influencers who spread body positivity messages.

• Fight hatred with love

It is easy to get lost in the negativity of others. The world doesn't care what you think or say about yourself. Show compassion and love to others who aren't able to see the value in you, or feel the need to bring down others. To forgive those who aren't for you, and to send light and love to those in need. It's too short to be cruel, but we all have the ability to help each other by showing kindness, compassion, and love.

• Embrace positivity

Mindfulness is being present with your body and mind at the moment. It is a divine energy that brings within us a joy that we all long to experience in our lives. We can say "yes" to mindfulness that inspires power, peace, and compassion. We shine a light on beauty beyond what society expects. As we share our vulnerability, which we were taught to hide, others are inspired.  You need to stop body-shaming yourself and develop self-compassion & self-love. Your mental health always takes priority over your physical appearance. Some of the tips are: Respect yourself with self-compassion, kindness, and understanding, Manage stress by using relaxation therapies, and Empress the power of your body.

• Modify the Negative Self-talk

We can’t change and control others, however, we can always identify our cognitive distortions, and modify our thoughts and feelings, you can take the help of the best Clinical Psychologist, who shall help you with CBT and other therapies including self-care tips like

• Shifting your focus to the things that you like about yourself the most
• Be always proud of yourself and your individuality
• Must begin off with body neutrality 

Get Online Counselling

Beauty standards should be based on inner beauty. Encourage everyone to love themselves, no matter what the outside world says. Body shaming is a way to restrict your potential and limit what you can achieve in life. To overcome discomfort, you can take small steps to observe how you feel in uncomfortable situations. You will eventually overcome your fear and stop hiding.

If you have difficulty dealing with body shame, it is time to seek professional assistance before it affects your mental health. TalktoAngel offers the best Online Counselling to increase your self-esteem, develop self-confidence and fight negativity in your life. Your Online Counselor can help you deal with negative emotions and body shaming.

Reference 

Body shaming impacts Indian teenagers in a big way in schools. No resources to help students, https://theprint.in/campus-voice/body-shaming-impacts-indian-teenagers-in-a-big-way-in-schools-no-resources-to-help-students/825261/#