I took a vow last year to become okay with my body and everything it has to offer. I promised myself to stop judging everything I did, and be at peace with the body I have. A little bit less than 1 year later, I am a happier person, but obviously like anyone else I struggle at times. I can assume that most girls go through the same thing that I do, and so I want to share how I stay one with my mind and body, and love myself unconditionally.

Stop looking in the mirror so much

One huge mistake I used to make is standing in front of the mirror every chance I got to analyze every part of my body. I never realized how much of a toll it took on me until I stopped looking in the mirror and started focusing on the important things. Every time you go to look in the mirror, turn around and change the subject; you will thank yourself later.

Stop thinking and planning meals and just eat

The most unhappy time in my life was clearly when I was food obsessed- counting calories before and after every meal and planning everything I ate days in advance. Stop planning and listen to your body. If you start focusing on school, friends, and hobbies, the food aspect will no longer be a stress in your life.

Exercise

Although nobody wants to hear it, exercise is honestly the biggest gift in the world. When I am having a bad day, my favorite thing to do is sweat it all out. It releases all of the stress and immediately makes me feel more confident and happy. Sometimes a workout is all I need to get me back on track and feeling good again.

Meditate

Meditation to some people seems silly, but I can guarantee that once you start, you will see results. For me, I love to meditate right before bed and have been doing it since I was around 10 years old. Sometimes your mind fills up with too many negative thoughts and you need to clear it out and realize what is important. 

Think and speak kindly about yourself

Ever heard the term 'fake it till you make it'? Well this term is 100% true when it comes to body positivity. Even if you don't feel totally confident and in-love with yourself right now, I guarantee that if you constantly talk nicely about your body and yourself as a whole that you will start to believe it. Whenever you feel a negative thought coming on about yourself, intercept it with a positive one.

Surround yourself with the right people

If you surround yourself with a group of friends that constantly is worried about their own bodies and eating habits, of course you will start to feel pressured to as well. Surround yourself with people who encourage you to be the best version of yourself and that would never make you feel bad about who you are or what you look like. 

Pledge to love yourself no matter what

Had a 'bad' day of eating? Forgive and forget. Don't let guilt drag on for a long time, acknowledge what happened and move on. Every day is a new day and no matter what your body is still here to help and support everything you have been through and everything you are going through. Don't punish it- reward it. Love yourself for everything you can do and don't ever make yourself feel guilty or unworthy because of what you ate. At the end of the day it's just food you ate today, but you have this body for life.