3 CREATORS ON WHY WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS
“I’ve redefined what beauty means to me and choose to see myself and my body as beautiful,” body confidence creator Tiffany Ima told Refinery29 last month. That was just one of the wow-I-needed-this pieces of wisdom shared with us during Mental Health Awareness Month on Threads, where we partnered with Meta to host a series of interactive Q&As. Each chat put a spotlight on mental health, wellness, and other topics that are often not discussed because of the stigma around them.
As part of our Taking Care series — which aims to empower R29 readers to take control and ownership over all aspects of their health and wellbeing via real conversations — we partnered with three content creators who want to help others do the same. There was Ima, who is also an ADHD Body Image Coach and who discussed body positivity and neutrality; chronic illness advocate and host of the Everything You Need Is Within podcast Gigi Robinson, who discussed living and thriving with chronic illness; and Plant Kween, a Black, Queer, non-binary creator who touches on everything from plants, to fashion and holistic wellness.
Ahead are excerpted portions of each creator’s Threads Q&A to inspire some much needed TLC.
Tiffany Ima (@tiffanyima)
R29: These days, body positivity is mostly dismissed as a marketing buzzword thrown around by brands, or — when used by an influencer or in a magazine — as something synonymous with “self-love.” Rather than promoting radical acceptance of marginalized bodies and elevating those rarely heard voices, some were promoting general self-love — and, ultimately, themselves. What does body positivity mean to you in 2024?
“Body positivity HAS unfortunately become a buzzword. It’s lost the original meaning, which is liberation for marginalized bodies. It’s not a term I use to describe my work because it’s important to be specific with my language.
“Helping people achieve Body Peace through three principles (Cultivate Compassion, Connect With Your Body, and Celebrate Self Expression) is what I focus on.”
R29: What is “body neutrality?” Do you relate to the term?
“Body neutrality is simply accepting your body without any overall positive or negative feelings towards it.
“Navigating this world as a dark skinned Black woman led me to believe I could never be beautiful because of my features. I see neutrality as an important tool on days where I’m feeling kinda blah, but overall, it isn’t enough for me. After all the healing work I’ve done, I don’t wanna be neutral about myself!”
R29: Women’s media, the fashion industry and diet culture have a harmful history, which can have (and has had) devastating effects on a person’s self esteem. While we have made some important gains, the pendulum seems to be swinging back again. (For example, we are seeing less plus-sized models on runways.) What do you think needs to change, and how can we take action right now?
“Listen to plus-sized people. The industry misses the mark because the people who need to be in the room aren’t. It’s hard to make a lasting impact if the board room is homogenous.
“Generally speaking, we have to stop promoting body trends. Bodies are diverse and if we can accept this fact, everyone will benefit!”
Find Tiffany’s full Threads Q&A here.
Gigi Robinson (@itsgigirobinson)
R29: Gigi, you help people achieve Body Peace through three principles: Cultivating Compassion, Connecting With Your Body, and Celebrating Self-Expression. Who walked so you could run? Give us an example of who paved the way before you.
“Gosh, there are so many incredible women and advocates that inspire me. Mel Robbins, Gabby Bernstein, and Kathrin Zenkina inspired me every day to become a source of positivity and inspiration to help others.
“Other women include my Mom and Grandma. My Mom has shown me how to advocate for myself and my health, even when doctors may not believe my symptoms. My Grandma has been a patient-advocate for hospice patients for years, and also encourages and inspires me to constantly advocate for others.”
R29: Could you share some advice for anyone who is new to living with chronic pain/illnesses?
“Every day will look different. This can cause a ton of frustration and anger towards yourself and your body, but give yourself some grace.
“Finding a new diagnosis can be a challenge to mentally overcome. I spent years hating my body because of what I couldn’t do and the way it looked. Give yourself the time to process. When I shifted my mindset to embrace the things I could do, it helped me be more grateful everyday for my ability instead of my anger around something that I could not change.”
R29: If you could share one message with the world about chronic illness, what would it be?
“Most people know a friend or family member who deals with chronic illness. Fifty percent of the US population have at least one, and 21% have at least two. That said, I believe that we should be more active in finding ways to support people living with chronic illnesses.
“As the person dealing with a chronic illness, I would figure out what your boundaries are and how you best navigate the world. As a friend or family member, show respect by appreciating boundaries and always asking how you can help.”
Find Gigi’s full Threads Q&A here.
Plant Kween (@plantkween)
R29: “Wellness” is a very broad term. What does it mean to you specifically?
“DAHLING, wellness is a holistic approach to life, nurturing physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. It’s about thriving, not just surviving. This means healthy habits, resilience, managing stress, meaningful connections, self-discovery, and aligning with our values. It’s a journey of self-care, listening to our bodies, and choosing practices that support our health and happiness.”
R29: You’ve previously said “gender is a playground.” Can you tell us what you mean by this?
“For as long as I can remember, my gender has always been an experience. It was more than just being boyish or girlish, not limited to just being masculine or feminine, not restricted by the ideas of “manhood” or “womanhood”…it was about being creative, playful, fluid, and expressive with how I wanted to show up in this world…it has and will forever be about embracing the experience of myself without definition.”
R29: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in terms of taking care of your mental health?
“Learning to be kind to myself has been key to my mental health journey. I used to set impossible standards and beat myself up when I couldn’t meet them. But I’ve realized that being understanding during tough times is vital. It’s about giving myself permission to take breaks and care for myself. Though not always easy, practicing self-compassion has made navigating life’s ups and downs much more manageable.”
Find Plant Kween’s full Threads Q&A here.
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