By Alexia Miranda, Huckleberry Youth Peer Health Educator
Why is it so common that people put themselves down because of their body? Well, I think some people feel insecure. People feel insecure for different reasons. Some people feel insecure because of the media, or they feel judged by others. Even when you are confident, people may judge you as conceited. There is no way of getting out of judgement, therefore you should only care about YOUR opinion and be happy with YOUR body. After all, when you are confident in your body, you will probably be more likely to take care of it! Whether that means practicing safer sex, making sure you always have condoms on hand, getting more exercise or getting more sleep!
This is how I am able to be confident with my body. In my family, if we feel a little bit insecure about ourselves, we tell each other that, “that’s the way god made us”. Meaning, if we were to have something that others might not have, or if we just don’t feel comfortable with ourselves, we say that we have it for a reason, and we should be proud of it.
I think everyone should be happy with their body because, like my family taught me, if you have something that others might consider “different," you are different for a very important reason!
One way you can help yourself and the people around you is by not judging other people. You wouldn’t want people judging you! You can also compliment people and focus on things other than their physical appearance. Kind words go a long way: you could make somebody’s day, and even make yourself happy because you made someone smile.
And remember, self-esteem and body confidence influence our decisions. If you can be a little kinder to yourself today, you are paving the way for a brighter - and healthier- future.
The Huckleberry Youth Program, Peer Health Educators (PHE's), are community health educators who work with other young people. The PHE's are committed to decreasing high-risk behavior among youth and empowering youth to make healthy choices in their lives. The PHE's (strive to) do this by: creating safe and friendly spaces for youth to come to for support, educating their peers and increasing youth’s knowledge of health issues, increasing awareness, providing resources to youth and serving as a resource when needed and creating opportunities for youth to work toward self-sufficiency. PHE's go into the high schools and educate teens on topics like birth control, healthy relationships, STI's and condom use. They are a terrific resource to their peers and the greater Bay Area community.