How Do You Handle the Struggle With Body Image? | Healthy Body Image Series Part 3 of 5

Before we dive into part three of our healthy body image series, let's recap what we touched on in part one and two.

In part one of this series, we asked Ballet 5:8 founding company member and former Lead Artist Lauren Ader-Cumpston why body image is so hard in the ballet world. In part two of this series, our follow-up question asked what feeds unhealthy body image.

Now in part three, we asked Ms. Lauren a more personal question.

School of Ballet 5:8: Have you or any of your friends struggled with body image and what helped you (or them) handle this struggle?

Lauren: I have certainly struggled with a negative body image to a certain degree and have known many many dancers who have struggled with it. I think for myself, I needed to assess who was telling me what the "ideal body" was, and whether or not it was truthful.

In addition, I needed to assess where my self-esteem and confidence were coming from. Our identity is often reliant upon acceptance or achievement in the world around us. When our self-esteem is tied to a constantly changing world and its constantly changing ideals, we will never be able to have a healthy relationship with our bodies and with ourselves.

In reality, there is no "ideal" body type. This is something that we have created, and this "ideal" has changed through the course of history and is different across cultures. It is not a steadfast reality. In the context of my faith, finding my identity in Christ and in who God has created me to be must be the most significant determining factor of my identity. I need a constant reminder of who I am in Him. Prioritizing who I am as a person rather than how my body looks, helps to keep my focus in the right pace. I am created in the image of God, for the purpose of showing the world who he is!

I also want to be very sensitive and acknowledge that many dancers who have struggled deeply with negative body image have also developed disordered eating and eating disorders. For dancers who are struggling with this, I want to encourage you not to feel shame, and to talk to someone you trust. There are so many dancers who have gone through what you are going through now and so many good resources for help. Please reach out to the people around you who love you and can help to walk alongside you as you heal.

Stay tuned next week for part four of this series!