Body image is something I’ve struggled with for a very long time, and it’s something I’ve watched many of the females around me struggle with, too. We spend an overwhelming portion of our lives worrying about how we are visually perceived by other people, that we very rarely give ourselves the space to just be. Not only is chasing “perfection” physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting, but it’s also a waste of the precious time we have here on earth.

A few months ago I was watching old home videos of my younger self and I felt so disconnected from her. She wasn’t insecure about the way she looked. She wasn’t worried about how she was being perceived by others. She definitely wasn’t one to shy away from the camera. It felt as though 21-year-old Rachel was the complete opposite of 5-year-old-Rachel, and it made me want to take a step back to find out what went wrong.

I grew up surrounded by amazing women. Women who were (and still are) incredibly strong, resilient, and courageous. 5-year-old Rachel was a reflection of that. As I got older and started to understand adult conversations, I overheard a lot of negative talk about their bodies. How they believed they were “too big” or “too small”. How their diet and exercise programs weren’t working. How they wished they weren’t the owners of their features. Yet, not once have I ever looked at those women and judged them based on their looks or their weight. The only attribute that has ever mattered to me, is how loved and supported they’ve made me feel.

As I reached the teenage years of my life and grew to resemble the women I was related to, I began to critique my own body just as they had. It was as if my brain’s default setting was self negativity. I couldn’t see it at the time, but I had programmed myself to automatically search for “flaws”. From the age of 14, I was on and off diets and exercise programs, giving up my favourite foods and running laps around my backyard. I strongly held on to the hope that the pain and misery I forced myself to experience was temporary, and that eventually, I’d be able to live a happier life; once I was skinny.

It wasn’t till I was 20 that I started to think that trying to shrink my arms and stomach was the least of my problems. Being diagnosed with two different medical conditions that often left me feeling fatigued, changed my definition of “healthy”. I used to believe that having a healthy body meant having as little body fat as possible and eating nothing but salad. I don’t fit those criteria in the slightest, but I believe I have a healthy body because I fill it with food that gives me energy. I move it in ways that make me feel empowered rather than ashamed; instead of following harsh workout routines, I dance around the house to my favourite songs and ride my beautiful vintage-style bike.

Due to the influence of the media and fitness culture, we’ve lost sight of self-acceptance. A healthy body is one that allows you to hunt down your dreams, hug your loved ones, and enjoy life the way you see fit. There’s a very big chance that you, reading this now, own one, and I beg you to embrace it. You don’t have to worry about fitting the mould of someone else. You already perfectly fit into the mould of yourself, and that’s the best shape to be. 

A big part of my personal body positivity movement was becoming a founding contributor of Mys Tyler. It’s a wonderful app that matches women to those who share their body type, providing realistic and positive examples of what clothing would look like on them. In the age of social media influencers, Mys Tyler is an essential tool that empowers women to be their own muse. I strongly recommend it to all the ladies in my life.