How To: The Brown-girl Glow-up

Take back your power, learn how to love your body

Being comfortable in your own skin is easier said than done. Raised in a South-Asian household can make the situation worse. We are told what we should and should not be comfortable in from a young age. Whether that’s being too “skinny” or too “big”, if our skin has hyper-pigmentation, dark spots, acne or dry patches, the list is endless. Most of the time, we carry these small remarks from childhood and subconsciously allow them to think negatively about ourselves and our bodies. Still, we can reprogram our mindset, no matter how we feel about ourselves right now.

Take back your power with five easy tips to help you feel more comfortable in your brown skin and get the Brown-girl glow-up.

“When she took back her power, the Universe glistened in her eyes.” Source: Pinterest

1. Gratitude journal

A gratitude journal can be created on your phone or in your favourite notebook. Take five minutes to write down what you are grateful for about your body.

These can be simple things the human anatomy does. For example, “I am grateful for healthy legs to walk to the kitchen for midnight snacks” or “I am grateful for my brown fingers that let me tap through Instagram for hours.” The key is just to get started. Try to do this every day for the next thirty days, taking the least or the most amount of time you need and feels right for you. By acknowledging gratitude in your body, you are reprogramming your mind to look for positive thoughts about yourself.

Source: Helmium

2. Look in the mirror

It may sound weird but take the time to look at your body. Don’t look for flaws or even for positivity. Just own it. This is your body. You are the caretaker of this body. You decide what to do with it. You are blessed with it. This extraordinary, complex machine belongs only to you. Respecting the human body for what it is will help you understand that your body is constantly changing. It’s always evolving and accepting that fact will help you get through the next steps.

Source: Pinterest

3. Move

A great self-care hack is moving in any way or form. Free your body from any stress, negativity or anxiety. Let yourself be free from thoughts and just have a good time with your body. Dance to your favourite tune or do a star jump. Even by starting for 15 minutes a day, you allow your body to breathe and your mind to be free. Out of all the tips, this is the best one to get you started.

Moving doesn’t mean you spend a dreadful hour at the gym or force yourself to do something you don’t like. Even if you don’t like dancing, just wiggle your body around for 10 minutes, and you’ll be good to go. Hopefully, your desi mum doesn’t think you’re getting possessed.

4. Manifesting positivity

We all want the perfect body, and what we say can impact how we look.  When getting ready in the morning, looking in the mirror or taking a shower, repeat positive manifestations to yourself—the most powerful focus on general things that will bring you peace and happiness all around.

Pro tip: When manifesting, always use the present tense, act like you already have what you want.

Some ideas to get you started:

  • I am beautiful
  • My body is healthy
  • I am in love with my body
  • I am the best version of myself
  • I am confident in my brown skin

By focusing on broader positivity, instead of specific matters like reducing acne or weight, you will automatically glow up by falling in love and being in peace with your body. Don’t believe me? Try it and comment on Asiana TV to let us know how you got on.

5. Don’t do any of these things

Yes, you read that right. If you try these tips and only stick to one or none, that’s okay. Even if you start and stop these tips, speak kindly to yourself about working on your body. Like anything you do, it will take time and remember unravelling years of subconscious programming is not easy. If you don’t like anything on this list, tell yourself that’s okay. But don’t give up on loving your body. Read another article or ask for advice. You’ll eventually find something that you love and can easily stick to. It’s worth digging around for the right remedy.

Being kind to yourself and others around you is a huge step. Forgiving others for what they have said is important because they may have been subjected to similar ideologies by their parents. Moving forward in kindness towards yourself and others, will guide you towards self-love and understanding.

Stay tuned to Asiana TV on Instagram, we’ll be posting more content on #brownisbeautiful to give you the best tips and advice for dealing with brown problems.

Use #asianabrownisbeautiful or #asianacampaign to spread body and mind positivity. Tag @asianatv and #asianatv so we can see how you’re getting along.