self-love, fashion
I want to personally introduce you to my new team member, Raeann! I am so excited for you guys to get to know her and fall in love with her and her mission just like I did. Raeann is a blogger, graphic designer, artist, model and overall amazing woman who is all about self-love and body positivity. I mean… who doesn’t love her after reading that?!? She recently moved to L.A to pursue her dreams of modeling as well as being a BOSS woman so everyone ... let’s welcome Rae to the NU family!
Hey, NU squad! I am so happy to be here! Like Natalie said, my name is Raeann but you can call me Rae. I am a Denver native but I recently (like 2 weeks ago) moved to L.A. I moved to California to further my career as a curve model and body positive influencer. My background is in magazine journalism and graphic design. I started my fashion blog, Rae Everyday, a little over two years ago to provide women of all sizes with fashion inspiration and tips. My blog has also transformed into a place where I talk about body positivity and learning to love yourself. I recently talked about loving your body and why it’s not always easy with Shape Magazine so you can read more on that here.
As women, we spend way too much time thinking negatively about ourselves and our bodies. When you learn to love your body it can change your life. Like any relationship, the relationship you have with your body takes work. When women ask me how they can start changing their relationship with their body and building self-confidence I give them these three pieces of advice.
SHUT OUT THE NEGATIVITY
It is so easy to focus on the parts of our bodies that we hate or want to change. My first tip is to shut out the negativity. The second you start thinking negatively about your body, tell yourself something you love about it. For me, I have always struggled with loving my stomach. Whenever I catch myself thinking, “ugh my stomach looks horrible in this dress or I wish my stomach was flatter.” I look at myself in the mirror and say, “Raeann, don’t believe the lies. Your stomach is beautiful and you are a strong and brilliant woman.” I know it sounds cheesy but it works. If you are always telling yourself you are fat or ugly or not good enough, you will believe it. So tell yourself you are strong and you are beautiful and guess what? You’ll believe it! Your mindset about your body will start to change!
GIVE YOUR BODY THE LOVE IT DESERVES
Our bodies are incredible. They allow us to live our lives and pursue our passions, so we need to give them the love they deserve. Find an activity that you love. Whether it’s yoga, cycling, swimming, or walking, you name it! Just do something that gets you up and moving. Fitness is a part of my every day routine. I don't do it with the goal to lose weight, I do it because it makes me feel good and it makes me healthier and stronger. Physical activity stimulates your brain and makes you feel happier. If you’re in Denver sign up for a NUfit class with Natalie! I love that her classes are a place for women to celebrate self-love and support each other. There are so many activities out there, so find what makes you happy and get up and get moving.
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE ROLE MODELS
I'm sure that you've heard the saying, "who you spend time with is who you become." Surround yourself with positive role models in real life but also on social media. Find women who you admire and are also on a journey to love their body! My self-love journey started when I saw more curve models in the media around me. Seeing diversity in the media has been a huge way I've learned to love my body and understand that beautiful bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Be the friend in your group that doesn't allow your friends to talk poorly about themselves. When your friend starts to say self-deprecating remarks stop her and make her say something positive about herself. Having a support system of women who love themselves and each other is so important!
I couldn't be more excited to be a part of the #NUFitSquad because all of these things are exactly what Natalie embodies. I am happiest when I am empowering other women to love themselves! I hope you find these tips helpful on learning to love your body and find your self-confidence! See you soon!
Look one: Velvet Overalls | Mock Neck Tee
Look Two: Floral Dress similar here
Look Three: Bodysuit | Ruffled Skirt
Photography by: Chelsea Chorpenning
