I've noticed something in today's society, and that is that people are learning to accept their insecurities: having acne, their skin tone, their body, etc. And it's honestly very beautiful to watch. It's amazing, really. I've learned to love myself more too, due to this sudden movement regarding self love in today's society.
But what I've also noticed is that some people are confusing self love with self neglect. They suffer actual bodily health issues, yet they still say stuff like, "Love yourself, you're perfect just the way you are!", and while I appreciate and adore the self confidence here, let's not invalidate your health by saying you're perfect just the way you are. That's toxic positivity, which is basically gaslighting yourself into looking at an actually negative topic with a positive lens. Don't get me wrong, your body deserves love and care exactly as it is, but loving yourself also means nurturing your health. This distinction is key to understanding true self-love. True self love comes from exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet (and yes, unhealthy stuff can come in a balanced diet, as long as it's balanced), while still appreciating and listening to your body. Saying you're absolutely perfect while ignoring actual bodily issues such as obesity is unhealthy and neglectful. I'm not saying size defines health, since many factors contribute to that, whether it's genetics, medical conditions, etc. What I am saying, on the other hand, is that you need to make sure that your body is healthy even with those conditions. If your BMI is clearly showing that you're obese or underweight, you need to acknowledge that. If your body fat percentage, fitness levels, mental well-being, and/or other health indicators are clearly unhealthy, you need to acknowledge that. But don't push yourself and hate yourself for it. Acknowledge it, and express love for yourself while trying to fix it. Just because it doesn't fix immediately, or maybe even never fix, does not mean you aren't beautiful.
The society has gone from one extreme to another: before, it was self hatred. "Why doesn't my body look like this? Why doesn't it look like that?", (this is wrong too. Since there is no ideal body you should be aspiring to acquire. Your body is the ideal, as long as it's healthy), now, it's "I'm suffering due to health issues but am still perfect and do not need to exercise." this is wrong. You do need to exercise, not for your looks, but for your health. There is a difference. Practicing self love does not mean you practice self neglect. Toxic positivity regarding your health can and will probably do more harm than good.
In conclusion, it's important to understand that while self love is important, it's equally important to not misinterpret it. You need to love yourself, but also take care of yourself, and actually acknowledge health issues instead of saying, "Oh, no, I'm just perfect." That's self neglect, and in a way, self hatred, since you're harming yourself, even if it is in a different way. Nobody's perfect. That's unrealistic. So saying that would be lying to yourself. But that doesn't mean you should hate yourself. Embrace the imperfections you cannot change naturally and fix the ones you can. You've got this. I'm rooting for you <3
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