Tips to Feel Your Best During Bathing Suit Season

The summer ‘uniform’ is made up of shorts, tank tops, and sweating! All can make you feel uncomfortable if you struggle with body image. But perhaps the most dreaded of all is the bathing suit. At some point we go from children who love being in the water and playing in the sand without a second thought, to worry-charged and self-conscious adults who will actively avoid situations that require suiting up.

If this sounds like you, you’ll want to bookmark this post to come back to when you’re faced with a bathing suit event. Here are 4 tips to make you feel more comfortable (dare we even say confident!):

• You’ve heard it before but it bears repeating: no one is as concerned about your appearance as you are. We in no way want to discount experiences where someone something commented on your body. No one gets to do that and here’s what you can do if it happens. But we can be our own worst enemy when it comes to criticizing ourselves. Consult someone you trust, a partner or friend, who can help you pick out a flattering look.
• And that brings us to our second tip: buy a bathing suit that you feel good in. That might look like a high waisted two piece or maybe a stunning one-piece, or something in between—there are so many options now! Experiment with different straps, draping, or patterns to decide what you like best and what makes you feel your best.
• Don’t wait for the pool party to slip into your suit. Wear your bathing suit in the comfort of your home a few times to get an idea of how your body movies in it and to allow yourself to relax into the experience. That way, when it’s beach time, you’ll already feel familiar and (more) comfortable in what you’re wearing.
• Focus on the joy of the experience when you’re wearing the bathing suit. How the water cools your skin, the sun warms you, or a breeze dries you off. This makes hone in on the positives around the experience, even if you’re still feeling self-conscious. Why do this? Because it will make you feel more excited for the next time you put on your bathing suit because you’ve created positive associations.

Remember: confidence is a journey! That means you’ll have some days that are better than others and that is ok (so does everyone else!).

💛 Your peace awaits.