Here at Stratum, our prime core value is remaining unedited and unfiltered.
In fact, our photographer said it was the first time anyone had ever said “I want my eye bags in the picture”.
If I can allow stratum to do just one thing, it’s spreading self acceptance and removing the unrealistic standards put on young girls.
I myself have struggled a lot with self acceptance for as long as I remember. In particular severe body dysmorphia. I’ve tweaked my face, I hate that I felt the need to do it… hence why I’m so passionate about spreading self love and empowerment.
I decided to make a very very conscious effort to change this attitude for not only myself but for one day when/if I have a daughter I don’t want to pass on that behaviour.
I’ve gone to extremes to try and adhere to “that” girl on Instagram that doesn’t even resemble the actual person in the photo with how touched up it all gets.
Now with my age and experience, only now do I feel whole heartedly comfortable with who I am.
How?
I’ve made a very conscious effort to have a healthier relationship with food.
I always had it in my mind- food was the enemy, attaching feelings of guilt with everything. Changing my perception of food to fuel for the body and listening to your bodies wants and needs.
My body genuinely feels the best it’s ever felt.
* Unfollowing the Insta babes. You know the type. Face tuned to the shitter, waist synched in, face enhanced, impossible to bloat with the 12 pack they are flaunting. It’s all well and good, but I personally found it had a negative effect on myself.
To remove that comparison trigger within myself, I removed that content from my feed.
* Following the good stuff. In saying that, ensure your feeds trigger positive things that make your soul happy. Whether it’s cooking pages, educational pages, fashion, travel, arts and crafts… and stratum 😉
(I personally like to learn about nutrition, superfoods, micro nutrients and how to sneak them in my cooking…. Sorry Jake if your reading this- there’s weird shit in everything I make us 🤪)
* Moving the bod. Even if it’s just a twenty minute walk.
I feel so good about myself after I exercise.
I do a class most mornings, I find it energises me for the day, triggers those endorphins, gets the digestive system going, like nothing bad comes from it.
* Realising nobody cares but me. I would be so hung up on my tummy, my legs….quickly dry body brushing my legs for 5 mins to help with cellulite while I wait for my Uber. Truly nobody but me is worrying about it. I use to think every little detail was being analysed. It’s not.
*The energy around you. Be aware of the talk in your surroundings, do your friends bag out chicks walking past? It’s not cool. Get that energy outta here 👋🏼
*My healthy relationship. Jake really gives me such a safe place - Mentally, physically, energetically. There’s no judgement or comments. It’s just support & good vibes.
*Self acceptance. Stop being so hard on yourself, your here, your living, your breathing and having a crack at this thing called life. You should be stoked with that in itself, everything else is just a bonus. Enjoy the damn cake, don’t airbrush out your pimple, laugh at the unflattering photo.
There’s so much more to life than trying to change this and that about yourself.
It’s taken me a while to change habits and attitudes to a healthier more accepting place and hell I’m still working on it.
But each day I try and love myself a little more than the last ❤️
My body gets me through each day, it deserves to be celebrated not critiqued.
Soz bod xo
Jk