Mental Health Awareness Week – Body Image

What do the following have in common?

A banker, a dog walker, fitness instructor, a classroom assistant, a therapist, a nurse and a blogger.

They are the typical mix of a WanderWomen experience, and most likely they all have one area of their body that they are not happy with. They are all vulnerable in their own ways.

Indulge me a little here when I compare a WanderWomen experience to the experience of going for a sea swim together as a group, it might feel like I am going on a tangent a little.

In my experience, during sea swims with a small group, we strip off our clothes pre-swim, and off come all the layers, actual layers as well as metaphorical layers.

All the above types, professions and labels become less important.

The more we strip back the layers, the more we realise how we are all the same: we all have our scars, physical or emotional.

With the backdrop of nature, we realise that all the layers are simply a distraction from what really matters, we realise that we do not need much to be happy.

Our bodies are incredible, unique and yet all the same. Behind all the layers we are strong – and weak at the same time, and that’s not a bad thing!

We all cry salty tears, and know that a smile makes us appear more beautiful.

We all want to be loved and respected, hugged and noticed.

Yet we are so good at hiding our emotions – and bodies. Behind fancy outfits, jobs, family needs, and also social media and screens.

When we are out in nature, in the sea, in the woods, on a WanderWomen experience, we leave all the disguises behind. We come as we are, we don’t hide and there is no need for masks.

Human connections, conversations, sharing and caring for each other is what matters; Being heard and accepted for who we are, not chasing the perfect body image, suggested to us by advertisers, models, social media fakes.

Come away from behind your screens and soak in the sunshine, make eye contact, speak to a person, not a screen.

It is the real life experiences that count, not the ones that promise to be ‘social’, but actually just lead to isolation!

Spending time outside and focusing on real life experiences will make you realise how beautiful you are, inside and out, help you be content and acceptant of what you have. Those areas of the body that you weren’t so keen on, have purpose, and make up who you are as a whole. A beautiful living being.

You know it! Don’t be alone, and get out more!

WanderWomen experiences can be booked here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/wanderwomen-scotland-ltd-18054141487

From this morning’s sunrise swim.

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