By Kristen Donia —
Where would we be without our best buddies? The ones we turn to for all the things, for fun times, in the hard times and really just all the times.
When we consider living and loving ourselves freely, it’s important to have a support system in place to help contribute to a strong foundation.
Here are four ways you can support your friend on their body positivity journey.
Ask Questions
Have you ever been in a deep conversation with someone and they ask you a question and you hear yourself answer in a surprising way? Me too.
We can often find out how we truly feel when we hear how we respond to a question.
Asking your friend questions about how they feel, how they want to feel, and what they think might make them feel better, may help them discover their true feelings.
Share Your Journey
How do you feel about this particular topic? Does it change day-to-day? What do you do when you are feeling particularly low?
Consider the above questions and if your friend asks you or they come up, share your experience.
Often feeling like we aren’t alone in how we feel or what we’re going through can make all the difference in the world.
It may bring your friend peace knowing that you’re trying your best in this space to be body positive and/or body neutral too.
Listen (Really Though)
Often we listen with the intent to respond. Already thinking what to say next rather than truly listening to someone else speak. Notice the next time you’re having a discussion, are you hearing what your friend is saying or waiting until they’re done so you can speak?
When your friend is speaking their heart as it relates to their body and feelings, truly listen without offering words of encouragement or judgment. Being there and offering a hug, smile, or empathetic response goes a lot further.
Get Social
We live in a social culture. We are naturally social beings. What isn’t natural is seeing the lives of people all over the world from our phones. Some body images, sceneries, and experiences are actually altered to create a sense of beauty that’s fake. This can be confusing and change our perspective on what we find beautiful or appealing.
Go on your social media with your friend and as you two scroll, see which profiles make you feel ‘good’ and which make you feel ‘not as good.’
You could try unfollowing or muting these accounts for a couple days or weeks to see if not seeing the content makes you feel differently about yourself or your life.
Sometimes we think we love following someone only to find out that we really don’t and seeing their constant updates isn’t adding to our lives, it’s actually taking away from them.
After a few days, chat with your friend and compare notes. How have you felt not following this person or that person. You may be surprised with what you find.
What are some of the ways you and your friends support one another?
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Kristen Donia is a freelance writer living in a tiny house she built in sunny Southern Oregon. She has a Bachelors Degree in Education and has dedicated her life to studying and writing about empathy, vulnerability and enriching the human experience.