3 Ways to Feel Amazing In Your Bathing Suit

Memorial Day Weekend is such a bittersweet time.

As exciting as this day is for me because it signifies the beginning of summer, it has historically also been a day that fills me with dread because it also means bathing suit season is upon us.

For most of my life, I would cry every time I tried a bathing suit on, stand in front of the mirror and scrutinize every inch of my full belly and thighs, and wrap myself in a towel while I compared myself to every other girl at the beach or pool.

I always loved the beach, but only when I felt like I could make myself invisible.

I spent months getting super excited for beach vacations and then falling to pieces when I arrived because I felt so uncomfortable in my body.

Have you ever thought that if you just lost 15 pounds, then you would feel great and you could be happy? Or if you could just bust the cellulite on your thighs, or if only your stomach were more toned THEN you would feel great in a bathing suit?

Those are the thoughts that would cross my mind.

I have good and bad news for you.

It’s always best to get the bad news out of the way first, right?

The bad: If you making your happiness dependent on those things, even if you achieve them you will not be happy.

The good: Happiness is available to you right now!

You are not too far gone. It is never too late. The only thing standing in your way is yourself.

The healing work that is required to really tap into a place of self-love is not something that you can do overnight, and I always recommend that you seek support in that journey through a coach like myself or through one of the countless other program out there that help women end their battles with food and their bodies.

But there are some things that you can do right now to boost your confidence and enjoy yourself this weekend:

1)      Treat yourself to something that makes you feel beautiful. If you are one of those people that is like “no way am I ever going to feel great in a bathing suit,” I totally get it. It takes time. But that doesn’t mean you can’t feel great at all while you have one on. Invest in a cute cover-up or kimono that makes you feel amazing. Or search Pinterest for a summery braided hairstyle. Or put on some bright lipstick with SPF and make yourself feel gorgeous in other ways. The more you focus on other things that make you feel great, the less you will be thinking about that bathing suit.

2)      Get out of your head and into your body. This one can be difficult for people. Because our society is so conditioned to use logic for everything. We are constantly bombarded with “mindset, mindset, mindset” and we analyze every aspect of what we should think, do, and say to appeal to others. The truth is that you will never feel beautiful in a bathing suit or otherwise if you don’t shut off your brain and get present in your body. Feel the sand (or carpet, or concrete) beneath your toes and the breeze on your skin. Turn the volume down on your brain and activate your senses. Feel how good it feels to be outdoors in summertime. Really appreciate that you are strong and healthy enough to have this experience.  If you are finding it hard to do this, the breath is a great tool to connect back in. Try closing your eyes and breathing in slowly for 5 counts, holding at the top for 2, and exhaling for 5 counts. Just focus on the sensations in your body.

3)      Surround yourself with positivity. Unfollow all of those fitness models on Instagram and start following the girls using the #bodypositive or #honormycurves hashtags. There are a slew of beautiful women out there sending a message of love to bodies of all sizes, so go out and find them and soak in their message. Gain strength from their empowerment and recognize how beautiful their bodies are!

Your friends and family deserve the best of you. They are worthy of your love and presence… and so are you. You are worthy of experiencing joy and fun and gratitude. Those emotions have no size… they are limitless.

Xx,