 Bikini
Season—Yikes!
Tips on how to survive a summer in your swimsuit
With temperatures on the rise, people are spending more time at
the beach or by the pool in an attempt to cool down. Tan lines and
sunburns are not the only thoughts that can plague people's minds
during the summer; many teenage girls go through a lot of unnecessary
stress over the thought of how they look in a bikini.
In fact, many grown women can also identify with feelings of anxiety
over wearing a swimsuit—a type of stress that can be traced
back to adolescence.
"Disturbances like eating disorders and body image problems
tend to appear in the teenage years due to increased societal pressures
to have an ideal appearance," explains child psychologist Jennifer
Kittler, PhD, at Bradley Hospital in Providence, RI.
Our own worst critics
There is no doubt that in Western society, thin is in. From fashion
runways to TV shows, pop culture worships a lithe physique.
"Girls are constantly bombarded with media messages to mimic
a physical ideal depicted by body-baring swimwear or lingerie models
in magazines and catalogues," Kittler explains.
Parents can best help their daughters (and themselves) overcome
body-image anxiety by reinforcing the notion that we are our own
worst critics.
"Most other people will not be scrutinizing their body and
appearance nearly as closely as they are looking at themselves,"
says Kittler. "For example, do you notice the cellulite on
others' thighs from ten feet away?"
Give yourself a reality check next time you're at the beach or
pool.
"Most real women do not look like models, and even the models
in magazines have been airbrushed to hide imperfections. Magazines
and catalogues do not depict reality," Kittler says.
What suits you?
In addition, Bradley Hospital child psychologist Jennifer Dyl,
PhD, says that making the right choice about a swimsuit can go a
long way to building one's confidence.
"Teens should choose a bathing suit they feel comfortable
in; if you feel self-conscious or over-exposed, you will spend your
time worried about how you look rather than enjoying yourself,"
Dyl says.
Dyl also suggests that young women engage in fun physical activities
such as swimming or volleyball that get them focused on what their
bodies do, rather than how their bodies look.
"This builds self-esteem and helps them feel better in their
own skin," she says.
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