Summer is coming.
And we are therefore about to be bombarded with images and information on how to achieve your “summer” body.

Fact 1 : We don’t really have summer bodies, we just have bodies.
“Summer bodies” factually tend to wear smaller attire, but there’s otherwise no difference between a summer body and a spring one. Neither your health, nor your weight, nor your body sensations are not aware of a seasonal shift, only your brain is. Summer is an arbitrary turn of the calendar.

Fact 2: Summer body campaigns are designed to shame you, not motivate you. People who feel shame take action: we are ashamed of body hair so we laster it or razor it. We are ashamed of body odour so we cover it with perfume or deodorant. Motivations based on shame, such as a failure to “look hot” in a swimsuit are generally short lived (unless you make a living looking hot in a swimsuit). Focus on a longer term motivation if you really want to make changes, and try to find a positive motivator rather than a shame-based one.

Fact 3: All bodies are ready for the beach, not just fit and toned ones. Vacations and pleasure are not the exclusive rights of those who have earned them through age, genetics, diet and exercise.

Fact 4: Campaigns are hard to ignore because they engender social inclusivity. So we can be told to ignore them, but our human psyche wants to be included, so it’s hard to pretend that we not only don’t see these “beach body” messages but also that we don’t care at all. See them and make an active decision about how you feel rather than pretending that you don’t see them. Decide what group you DO want to be included in and focus your energy there instead.

Fact 5: you will like your body if you like how you feel. There’s no such guarantee if you simply like how you look. Focus on whether you enjoy how you feel inside your body. Are you living the kind of life you want? Are you expressing yourself? Are you feeling seen and heard? Looking hot in swimwear won’t change any of these fundamentals, even if you temporarily sport a 6 pack.

None of us can pretend to ignore summer body campaigns. But all of us can decide if we want to place our focus and energy on the relative importance of looking good in skimpy clothes.