Struggling with negative body image? So many of us feel excited when we finally make it through the cold winter months and get to enjoy the sunshine that comes with summertime. While summer can be a fun time for us, it may trigger negative thoughts about the way we look. We live in a world that is saturated with images and messages that reinforce unrealistic beauty standards.

Our mental health often improves as the temperature gets warmer and the days get longer. However, stress surrounding body image can also surface. We naturally wear less clothing in the summer to keep up with higher temperatures. But less clothing means exposing more skin and fewer opportunities to “hide” everything we’ve deemed hateable. At the same time, many of us also attend more social events because people finally want to get out and enjoy the weather! 

by Erika Pranzo, LPC Summer is often a major source of anxiety for many women. Research by Kite (2019) found that many women completely avoid social activities because of anxiety regarding how their bodies look in vulnerable clothing. Over the centuries, women have received pressure to maintain a certain beauty/ body standard through nearly every […]