Body positivity seems to be on everyone’s minds nowadays. How can we be better role models for others or what positive body image campaigns should we support? Seele Contributor, Shefali Karani has personally struggled with her own body image during her teenage years, and body positivity is something that she shares we should all work towards, as something that’s a part of the whole self-love package.

When I was an overweight teenager in high school, I was constantly bullied for my weight and the way I looked. I felt terrible looking different and that really brought down my self-confidence. I wanted to look the way that other girls my age looked and thought that was the ideal body weight at the time, but I just couldn’t look that way no matter how hard I tried. Instead, I decided to embrace the way that I was and automatically started eating better and working out.

Over the years, I learned something a bit surprising: there is no ideal body image! I came to an understanding that everyone has their own set of values for this, and finally put my mind at ease. When I was in college, I never let myself feel like I was still that overweight teenager who was struggling with her self-confidence. I did not let anything of that sort come in my way of achieving my goals at the time. I had a positive image of the way I looked and dressed accordingly. Everything else just worked out as my confidence soared. I graduated with top honors and absolutely believed in myself even when others did not.

But, this did not happen overnight. It took years to reach that level of confidence. One way that really helped me maintain a good sense of body positivity was to allow the fact that it was okay if I gained or lost some weight. I know it is hard for us nowadays with all the images on social media and what not, but we need to remember why we want to take care of ourselves in the first place, which is self-love.

When it comes to my social media accounts, I am quite mindful of what I post. I make it clear that whatever images I use should convey a positive message. I also mention if that particular image is from a photoshoot or some other event, so that people know that I do not look like this every day. In fact, I even have photos where I am not using make-up at all to remind my followers that I am still in fact a human being. It is important to remember that what you post on social media influences others, whether you have a hundred followers or even just one follower. You never know who might be influenced by your posts, so post wisely.

The body positivity movement is here to stay. We need to embrace this and start taking better care of ourselves. We need to be mindful of social media as well as all the other images out there, and remember that not everything we see is real. It creates unrealistic expectations for ourselves if we try to look like everybody else. If you want to be the best version of yourself, you need to have positive expectations for yourself and show some self-love. That is how I overcame my own personal struggles and gained confidence as a leader.