Journal

The world is inundated with ways the improve your positive self image and banish body guilt. The standard of beauty is fluid, constantly changing between cultures and decades. It’s no wonder so many people feel guilt and shame around their bodies and struggle to maintain a positive self image. Should you workout your glutes or get implants? Should you count carbs and drive yourself down to the smallest size possible? Should you just banish the guilt you feel for not following the trends?

Until a few years ago, being happy with your body was taboo. There were expectations about your shape or health associated with your weight, but if you felt pride in your body, you better be humble. Otherwise, you were conceited, self-centered, or self-important. 

As a boudoir studio, we are a little biased. When it comes to photography, traditional beauty standards always shine. But so do non-traditional bodies. Over the years, we have watched as people of all shapes and sizes found their confidence in front of our lens. So, how can you banish the guilt and maintain more of a positive self image? We’ll cover that in this post.

Banishing Body Guilt Can Improve Your Positive Self-Image

We are not born feeling body guilt or uncomfortable with our bodies. In fact, children are often more confident in themselves. Guilt is a learned behavior placed on us by parents or society. Not to dig too far into the woods here, but sometimes we need to ask ourselves if the guilt we feel is actually our own. 

Conforming to society is nothing to be ashamed of. We learn conformity at a young age, with some of us never developing into our own unique styles. So, if we are proud of our body, especially if it is a non-traditional body, it is an act of sweet rebellion. However, being happy with your body comes with its own set of judgments from others. 

Challenging the narrative in our heads can be difficult. The critical voice we hear can belong to us, but if you listen, you might realize the critical voice belongs to an opinion someone else gave you. I like to say that other people’s opinions are their business. We don’t have to internalize their opinions in order to feel comfortable in our own skin. 

But sometimes that critical voice can come from the media in its many forms. Magazines and products are trying to sell you the next best thing. Their primary goal is to make money, even if they toe the ethical line to make you feel you are not good enough without their product. Banishing body guilt is a challenge, but when we challenge ourselves to recognize where the guilt came from, we see ourselves in a different light.

Body Guilt: What does being happy with your body look like?

If you have scrolled our portfolio or our social media, you can see women and men of all shapes, sizes, and ages find their confidence. Their poses are stellar, their expressions are beautiful, and the best part is, they have learned how to be happy with their bodies. 

In normal society, they shame us for our bodies. If our shape does not fit into the trend of the “perfect” body, doctors, experts, and even our grandparents will comment on our figure. We are told how we should feel about our bodies every single day. For many of us, these opinions bring about feelings of shame. But inside the boudoir studio, we encourage you to own what you bring.

Being happy with your body can come in many forms. We can love our shape, including dressing and showing off. It’s a level of pride that either you’re born with, or you have worked towards. This form of being happy with your body is admirable, but it’s not the only way. You can also become happy with your body for what it can do for you. For many people with health issues, learning how to show gratitude for the good health days brings a different perspective. This can even come down to scars and amputations. Because hurting is living, and it is so good to be alive and experiencing the world.

Reject Your Body Guilt Through Boudoir

One of our fundamental goals with boudoir photography is to give you the best experience you could hope for. This is where customer service meets small business, and I think it’s an expected benefit for a paid service. Of course, we want you to sit back, relax, and let us help you through your experience.

However, a not-so-well-kept secret about GFE is that we love to help build your confidence. Many of our clients tell us they are unsure if they can go through with their session. Maybe they experience embarrassment, but often we find out it’s because they struggle with feeling comfortable in their own skin. That’s where we come in. 

With over ten years of boudoir photography experience, I can tell you we have the process down. We will help you get into beautiful poses, but before the photo session starts, we’ll pamper you with hair and make-up. 

Our sessions leave clients feeling proud, happy, and excited. What a great way to start your journey to banish the guilt behind being happy with your body. You are worth it.