HELPFUL REMINDER: You are perfect just as you are.
You are valuable and you are worthwhile. Sometimes, we lose sight of this fact but if there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past year of lockdown, it’s what truly matters in life. It isn’t fashion, peers or being the coolest kid in school. It’s family, friendships, treasured moments and all the things that make your heart fill with love.
You Are Not Alone
So, as lockdown lifts and the old pressures start to creep back into your life, please remind yourself each and every day that you are enough. Who cares if you have post lockdown hair, or your clothes feel a little snugger than they did a year ago? Almost every single one of us has changed over the past year and that’s OK. We all did what we needed to do to protect our mental health during the toughest year of our lives. Living in joggers and pyjamas, ditching hair products and embracing comfort food and fashion is what we needed to get by.
Moral of this story? Don’t beat yourself up. You might not be 100% happy with your body or the way you look at the moment but be kind to yourself. You have been through a traumatic experience and you need time to process that. Focus on your recovery and don’t let anyone pressure you into looking or being a certain way. Take it slow and steady, make small changes to your lifestyle when YOU feel ready, and you’ll soon find yourself in a better place.
You Are Amazing
We’re survivors. Some of us have tragically lost loved ones during the pandemic, whether it’s from COVID or other illnesses. Some of us have struggled massively with our mental or physical health, or both. Others have felt lonely and afraid. We have all had to adjust to a whole new scary world and we all deserve a massive pat on the back.
We need to be kind to one another and offer our support and understanding whenever we can. After all, this is one experience the whole world has shared. Together, we can recover and rebuild, providing one another with nothing but love, support, and respect.
You Are Enough
Whenever you feel unworthy, stop, and take a deep breath. Take a look in the mirror and list everything that makes you unique. Everything that makes you special. List the things people love about you. List the things YOU love about you.
If you need extra evidence, think back across the past year and beyond. Think of all the challenges you’ve overcome, the things you’ve achieved, those moments when you felt a blush of self-pride. Conjure up these images and memories in your head and repeat them aloud if you need to. Say these words loudly and proudly: “I AM ENOUGH.”
And don’t let anyone ever tell you differently.
