A Wonderful World

                                                  UNDERSTANDING STRESS AND OUR RESPONSE ‘Stress’ is a physical, mental or emotional factor that cause bodily or mental tension. At times this response is necessary. When we are faced with a potential threat, stress can initiate the ‘fight or flight’ response, which is our body’s involuntary response to help prepare us for any necessary action that may need to be taken in order to survive.  When our brains perceive what they believe to be a threat, this response and our alertness is activated, our breathing and heart rate increases, hormones adrenaline and cortisol are released, blood flows away from where it’s not needed to assist muscles and the heart. As this response is initiated, we can take action. Ultimately, stress is what happens when our equilibrium is disturbed by what we call ‘a stressor’, this ‘stres...

A body is a body, just as a human is a human, although we have our differences, we have the right to all be treated the same when it comes to living on earth.   ‘Bikini body' or 'beach body ready’ should be nothing other than what it spells out. A bikini, a body, and you’re ready. Bikini, swim shorts, swimming costume, summer wear. Nobody should feel they don’t have the option to wear what they desire because of the body they are in, despite what the media may inform us, don’t spend your time preparing for summer or trying to change yourself when it’s already ready when summers here, it’s ready as you are. I’m an advocate for viewing our bodies as our home and accepting it in its neutral state with neutral response. I stand for body confidence. I stand for body positivity, although it is something I cannot be part of myself, I still agree with it. Often we incorrectly label ‘body positivity’ thinking it’s the same thing as body confidence, when they are actually different....

Your body is your home for life, let's take care of it. Let's work on accepting all bodies.  Our society has ingrained in us, ideas and beliefs surrounding image and aesthetic, instant judgement or assumptions about others as a response to how they look, rather than accepting that humans come in all shapes and sizes. I think it's important to know that everyone's version of 'health' looks different, despite our base bodily functions being the same, where we are and what we look like when our bodies are happy and functioning adequately can be very different.   By this, I mean internally, the things you cannot see. Our organs, arteries, hearts, lungs, bones, the female menstruation cycle and everything in between. It's not one size fits all, and thank goodness it isn't... how boring would that be! There are extremities that can be reached to shift ourselves of course, whether that we restricting or over consumption that can result in under nourishment and ...

We are all different. There no such human whom we can define as perfect, but instead perfectly imperfect. We all wish for what we can’t have, but in doing so, sometimes we can miss the opportunity to be grateful for what we are blessed with and what we have been given. Sometimes it's useful to consider goals or where we desire to be, but when it comes to accepting ourselves, our flaws and all, it's not about wishing for what you don't have but acknowledging what you do and who you are.   I have nothing against plastic surgery, I have read and heard many stories about how going through with it meant individuals became a lot happier and confident in their own skin, but personally I don’t think it’s what’s needed in order to experience happiness. I believe if you don’t allow yourself to love yourself as you are, then that acceptance will not be found no matter how much work you have done or things you try to change, nothing will ever be enough without believing you are enough...