Find your bikini body this summer

I don’t know where you are dear reader, but here it’s definitely summer! Which means it’s that time again: temperatures are warm, magazines are sharing photos of celebrities in swimsuits, and being in the water feels quite tempting… It can all cause us to feel a bit self-conscious about our bodies that are normally more covered up. But have no fear, your friend Jessica is here!

I’ve personally been confronted with these thoughts recently when trying on wedding dresses. Even though I’m convinced of the value of loving our bodies the way they are, sometimes this can be hard in practice. So here are five practical ways to become more body confident!

(Note: this post contains Amazon affiliate links. I only recommend products that I like and either currently use or would use. If you make a purchase, you support this blog: I earn a commission at no cost to you.)

Eat more fruit and vegetables

Eating certain things – such as dairy products or junk food – can make us feel bloated and heavy. And then we’d rather crawl under the covers than strut our stuff on the beach. Now, you would never hear me tell anyone to not treat themselves to pizza or croissants. However, if you want to feel your best, try incorporating more fruit and veg to your diet.

I aim to have fruit and/or veggies with every meal and snack, to stay balanced. After all, if you are what you eat, why not try to be light and summery? Salads, smoothies and soups (on a rainy day) are all good ways to add more fruit and veg to your diet (but please don’t cut pizzas out entirely!).

If you want to keep track of the healthy things you are eating (and for indications of fruit/veg portion sizes) you can download the free Daily Dozen app. Also check out the meal plan bundle I created! (It includes pizza… Did I mention pizza? Haha.)

Sleep and hydrate

It’s hard to feel good about ourselves when we’re sluggish or sleep deprived. I personally feel grumpier and more negative about everything, including myself, after a short night. So to help feel and look radiant, you need to drink regularly and get your fair share of sleep. I’m still figuring out the sleep thing, but I’m on it with the water!

After several attempts at drawing on a water bottle I already owned, I treated myself to a graduated bottle. It is an hourly reminder to hydrate, and I could infuse the water with fruit if I wanted to – I’m loving it!

Challenge yourself

A good way to worry less about what your body looks like is to shift your attention to what your body can do. So I challenge you to challenge yourself this summer. Try something you haven’t done before, whether that’s running a 5K, lifting heavier weights or going to your first zumba class! Getting out of your confidence zone, achieving something new and living to tell the tale will help you gain confidence in what your body can do. Just think of all the things you are able to do because you have a body, which brings me to the next point…

Body positive affirmations

Body confidence is all in the mind. If you start thinking “I’ll be happy when I’m a size X / have lost X kilos”, you’re locking yourself into a scarcity mindset. If you do reach the size you initially wanted, you’ll probably be focused on the next thing that is “wrong” with your body. There are people of all sizes who have learnt body acceptance and are splashing in the waves having a good time.

It’s all about your thoughts about your body. Affirmations can seem like a silly idea, but what you repeat to yourself has a lot of power. Lying to yourself is counter-productive, so start simple and small. So for example you could look at yourself in the mirror and say “I have a body”. You could then move on to “I accept my body” or “I love parts of my body” and then eventually “I love my body”! You could also write these down every morning if you think that would help!

There are two podcasts you could listen to if you wanted more guidance on thinking new thoughts: the Life Coach School podcast and the Smart Twenties podcast, namely the episode on affirmations.

Go do things outside

Spending time outside is so good for your physical and mental health. So please do not hold back! Everyone else is wrapped up in their own lives and thoughts, so just go out, enjoy the sun and shiiine! Here is a list of things to inspire your summer outings. It could be reading outside, going to the local pool, playing volleyball…

So pick a couple fun things you would like to do this summer and plan to do something today or this weekend, dare I say it… in a bikini? Turns out your bikini body was there all along! So go use it for what it’s for: splashing, swimming and having fun in the sun!

Action points

📷 Feel free to tag me (@JLGoodenough) on Instagram if you share photos of your confident (or getting there!) self this summer. We could start the #goodenoughbody movement!

🌊 Share the love, send this article to a friend and make plans to have some fun in the sun with them!

💖 Keep working on accepting and then loving yourself: we are all beautifully unique & uniquely beautiful!