Did you know that ideas of body positivity have been around for over a century? It has only been in our most recent history that the movement been more recently formalised into a social movement. The movement was said to have begun when women of the 1850s protested that they should not be required to wear corsets to alter their body shape.

At Pear Collections, we advocate those women of all shapes, sizes, ages, and ethnicity are beautiful. Particularly, we encourage pear-shaped women to #loveyourcurves. It is no secret that most pear-shaped women have poor body images and have disparaging relationships with their curvy bodies. This also negatively impacts their self-image.

Our brand believes that true beauty is one’s ability to be comfortable in your own skin and be comfortable with who you are. Pear Collections was created to support, celebrate and empower women to embrace their pear shaped bodies, and positively instil that they are more than just their looks. Since our brand’s creation in 2019, we have been bringing our brand’s values to life for its customers and help them follow their dreams.

What is Body Positivity?

Body positivity is now being used more frequently. However, some confusion still exists on what body positivity is. In a nutshell, body positivity is a movement that empowers one’s appreciation, acceptance, and respect for our bodies as they are. It also aims to enhance our mindsets in whatever function and activity that we do.

Body positivity is a process that requires the practice of acceptance, self-compassion, and in extension, empathy for others. While the process might be a difficult process, it can lead to an improved well-being, mental health, and encourage acceptance and inclusivity.

To be more specific, body positivity covers:

• Confidence and comfort within one’s own body.
• Appreciating the unique aspects of one’s body.
• Gratitude for the functions your body can perform.
• Admiring the parts and features of your body, regardless of if they differ from societal ideals.
• A focus on the positives rather than focusing on perceived imperfections or flaws.
• A total rejection of negative information and images about our bodies.

Body Positivity also aims to help people understand how popular media contribute to the relationship that people have with their bodies. With better understanding of the effects that such influences have, we can help people develop a healthier and a more realistic view and relationship with their bodies.

We have seen a huge shift in body positivity conversations over the last few years. It is a growing trend to see big brands and companies stand up against unattainable body standards. Even so, there are still a lot of challenges ahead.

The Importance of Body Positivity.

One of the major goals of body positivity is addressing some ways that body image influences a person’s general well-being, including their mental health. A healthy and positive body image plays a major role in how people feel and judge their self-worth and physical appearance.

Let’s face it – we all have episodes when we look in the mirror and judged a specific area of our bodies as not being good enough. In our case, as pear-shaped women, that’s our hips and thighs.

However, if we start focusing on just our perceived flaws, we run the risk of falling into a trap of body image distortion. Therefore, we at Pear Collections and our community advocate in learning and accepting the importance of loving the body that you were given.

Let us explore some reasons why body positivity is important.

1.  Encourages Self-Love.

Due to traditional media and social media, we have been living in a body-obsessed culture that thrives on idealised perceptions of what perfect bodies should look like. This unhealthy notion leads people on a quest to “fix” themselves instead of learning to love and accept themselves as they are.

Accepting your body is an act of radical self-love that transcends what you see on the outside. You must never feel that there is a need for you to change something about yourself to fit in.

Your body and your choices are no one else’s business. However, fully accepting yourself and your body means you are honouring and embracing all sides of who you are.

With daily focus and practice, you’ll see that medias and society’s imposed acceptable beauty standards will not phase you. You are amazing, so stay in your lane and keep being yourself. It’s more than enough.

2.  It Challenges Beauty Standards Imposed by Traditional and Social Media.

Scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, you get blasted with a slew of perfectly crafted male and female bodies. These unrealistic images have become standards that real people use to measure a perceived ideal body.

Mind you, these images also help to keep photo editing software and image filter builders in business. Be mindful that what you see on social media is not always real. A lot of these images are tuned and modified to make their subjects look younger, toned, skinnier, you name it.

Luckily, body positivity advocates have made strides to challenge against this unhealthy online culture of body-shaming. Like what we do here at Pear Collections, we are promoting acceptance, loving, and appreciation of all bodies.

3.  Enhances Mental Health.

It’s a fact that how you feel about your body correlates with how it affects your self-esteem. In turn, this has a substantial impact on one’s mental health. The challenge with negative thinking is that you begin having unkind thoughts about your body and cause you a feeling of being weighted down.

In a world that is constantly trying to change you, make it your personal mission to stay true to who you are. Make it a daily practice to affirm a body positive and healthy body image, and keep in mind that your shape and your curves does not define your true worth.

What are Body Affirmations?

Affirmations are statements that you repeat to yourself aimed to change your unconscious beliefs. Body positive affirmations are just like any other affirmations, except that they specifically focus on saying things to yourself regarding your body image.

We are not saying or promising that positive body affirmations are going to make you love your body overnight, it doesn’t work that way. Well, not immediately anyway. It’s a process that you must focus on until your mind adjusts, fully accept, and manifest what it is you are affirming.

I do want to mention that there are days when I also have issues with a bad body image, that’s normal. But, I can attest that from my own personal experience, positive body affirmations have helped me see my body in a new light.

For this reason, my fellow pear-shaped sisters out there, Pear Collections is offering our Love Your Curves Affirmation Card Pack. We want you to help improve your sense of self-worth and celebrate each body positive affirmation, because sweetie, you are worth it.

Join the Pear Community, subscribe to our newsletter, and start your positive body affirmation journey today.