Terror on the beach: How to wear a bathing suit this summer
You can inch your way or dive right in, either way is fine!
Hello! This week we’re talking about bathing suits.
For decades getting into a bathing suit was one of the most stressful things to do. I spent most of my life worrying about how I looked and assuming everyone was judging my body, so of course being nearly naked in public was triggering.
When I stepped into recovery, I was desperate to change the thought patterns that got me into my eating disorder in the first place. While I knew that it’s every person’s right to never again get into a bathing suit, it was important to me personally to face my fear of being exposed as part of recovery.
Bathing suit avoidance is not a recognized psychological condition, but just about every psychologist and human being can understand the fear of being clothed in a piece of Lycra in public.
While some people have nightmares about being naked on stage, most of us have the real-life experience of wearing a bathing suit at the beach or pool. Our busy minds tell us what everyone else will think and say about our bodies. Even if we try to convince ourselves that nobody cares, it can still be hard to take the plunge and disrobe in public. Eek!
Here’s how I work on my bathing suit confidence:
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