Modelling and Mental Health: Three Steps to Create a Positive Mindset
by Zane Zabere
Working as a model is an exciting opportunity to travel the world, meet inspiring people and build a career to support yourself from a young age. However, we all know that modelling is also a harsh industry.
Models have to keep their bodies in perfect shape all year round and endure long hour workdays as well as deal with rejection and unfortunately, body shaming. Models require a specific body shape, just like a professional athlete. The difference is that all professional athletes have a whole team of expert support available, starting from doctors, to coaches that support not just physical health, but mental wellbeing as well. I believe that models should have the same kind of support. With the right support, it is possible to keep the body fit and healthy, and it is possible to develop a mindset that allows you to feel confident and joyful while working in such a competitive industry. Yet, most models have never experienced any guidance to support their health and career.
My journey in modelling sheds some light on how personal work and professional support can ease the ride. I began modelling after I recovered from anorexia that I developed from reasons entirely unrelated to modelling or body concerns. During my years in modelling industries, I remember hearing many careless remarks about my looks. They range from "She's uglier, so she'll do the catwalks" to "You have fat cheeks, lose some weight."
However, because of my past with anorexia, I've done a lot of therapy and coaching work with professionals. The work helped me build self-confidence and resistance to negative comments as well as learn tools on how to sustain self-compassion and self-love throughout the modelling years. It also helped me understand nutrition, so to support my body healthily, while still being in shape for modelling. Taking care of your wellbeing is crucial to sustaining a successful career in any profession, especially in modelling.
I've met girls that have been the face of Channel and Victoria Secret, yet they left the industry in the middle of their success, because of the work's ill effect on their physical and mental health. Moreover, the negative body image and disturbed mental health aren't healed by ending the career. Ex-models have shared with me how they continue to suffer from eating disorder symptoms and depression many years after their careers have finished.
Modelling industries still require improvement in many ways. While wonderful organizations like Be Well Collective and passionate people like myself, work on improving the industry, it is each model's individual responsibility to love themselves and take care of themselves the best way possible.
With the right attitude and support, models can work successfully long term and maintain healthy body-image and mental health. If we take care of the body from a place of love and compassion, it will pay back with excellent health and looks. It all starts with self-love and self-compassion. Whether it's sustaining a successful career, avoiding eating disorder-related behaviours, becoming resilient to negative comments and even escaping dangerous situations such as sexual harassment in a workplace. Once you have that confidence in you, no one is your boss apart from yourself. No comments can hurt you unless you allow them to and you feel like you have the right to say NO to any situation you don't feel comfortable with.
I remember a situation from my years of modelling. When I signed the contract with my agency, I never agreed to model lingerie. Not because I was ashamed of my body, but because I had a different philosophy. I knew very well that my agency was aware of my stance. Yet, one day they sent me to a fashion show without much explanation. I walk into the fitting room, and I get instructions that I'll be wearing undergarments for the evening. Without thinking twice and asking anyone for permission, I walked out and went home.
No issues were raised in the agency, and I continued working after that as if nothing had happened. However, never again did my agency send me to a show that was against my principles.
Another thing that comes with self-love and confidence is a strong personality and memorable character. Looks are short-lived, the character is what makes a meaningful impression and inspires designers. Prominent designers choose their muses because of personality. Think of some of the most famous models these days, like Adesuva, Laura O'Grady, Iskra Lawrence and Daphne Groeneveld. They don't have the traditional look or age. Still, they have confidence in their originality, and they work successfully with the most famous designers for many years in a row!
If you are eager and ready to shift your mindset towards an empowering and resilient one, keep on reading, fabulous human. Here are 3 techniques that will support your journey towards self-acceptance and positive body image. I used these techniques personally, throughout my eating disorder recovery and modelling years to maintain self-love, body confidence and fearlessness, and I continue using these techniques with my clients today.
Achieve a Positive Mindset
Face THE INNER CRITIC
This was the single most important technique I've ever applied to myself and I continue teaching this to my clients. It requires practice and repetition, but it works! The first step to master this practice is to become mindful of the inner critic. We all have an internal dialogue that mostly consists of two contrasting opinions, and one of them is very judgemental.
Start noticing the critic and begin to observe how it's separate from the other, more positive inner voice. Once you have distinguished the critical voice from the positive one, realise, that you have the power to intervene in the critic's abusive monologue. Just like you would resist, or at least ignore, a rude person that's calling you names, you can oppose this voice too.
Not necessarily with anger, but simply object its judgment by saying something like "these comments are not helpful for me. I feel sad and discouraged when you speak to me this way. When I'm sad and discouraged, I lack the confidence I need to do my work successfully. Furthermore, there is proof that I'm sweet, fun, and kind of a cool person!" By practising this kind, inner affirmation, your positive voice will grow stronger. It's like building muscle- the more you use it, the stronger it becomes! And soon the negative voice will reside somewhere in the background. Still present, but much weaker. And you'll feel more confident, resilient and more open to showing your true nature that's original and awesome!
Practice mindfulness!
Mindfulness is defined as "a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations." All of us already possess the quality of mindfulness. We just need to learn how to access it and maintain it by regular practice. By practising mindfulness, I have mastered my power over the negative, critical voice. Meditation allows me to hear my true self and my actual needs which often oppose the judgemental voices desires.
With regular practice, I find peace and joy within myself and all external circumstances become secondary. I no longer feel the need to achieve specific beauty standards, buy the next fashionable thing to feel good about myself or even travel to exotic retreats. Finding peace and fulfilment within yourself truly is the essence of joy! However, it takes practice and guidance to master the skill. To learn correct mindfulness techniques, I suggest finding a professional to practice with for a few times. Expert guidance will ease the learning process, and soon you'll be ready to practice individually at home, whenever you prefer.
Take care of your body from a place of love
Our thoughts affect our bodies. We know this to be true for several reasons. For example, stress can worsen physical illness; fear leads to increases in certain chemicals that prepare us for the fight or flight response, and thoughts start chain reactions that allow us to contract our muscles. As Dr.Dispenza has said: "Our brain and body don't know the difference between having actual experience in your life and just thinking about the experience—neurochemically, it' the same." So why say to your body negative words such as "I'm fat and ugly," when you can say "I'm healthy, fit and gorgeous!" instead. I practised this when I recovered from anorexia. Even though my illness did not arise from thoughts of being overweight, anorexia distorts the mind, and eventually, such thinking does arise.
A few years into recovery, I realised the dysfunctional effect of the negative thinking and began practising replacing it with more positive thoughts. As soon as I caught myself thinking a critical thought about my body, I changed it to a positive one. For example, "Eating regularly and more is going to make me fat." Instead, I would say to myself - "Eating regularly and healthily is going to make me healthy and beautiful!" And it applies to exercise as well. For example, "I exercise to lose weight and change my body because it's not good enough." To- "I exercise to maintain a healthy and strong body!"
I remember that at first, saying these positive affirmations to myself, felt fake and like I'm lying to myself. Several of my clients have described feeling similarly at first. Isn't this sad that the judgemental thinking feels so natural to us and a positive, loving one- so fake? However, from my experience as well as my client's experience, with continual practise and repetition, the positive and loving inner voice becomes natural and more reliable than the negative one. After a while of practising during my recovery, to my surprise, my body began to change. I became the fittest, healthiest and happiest I have ever been. My body responded with exactly what I asked from it! And it has not changed since, because I have never gone back to the negative beliefs about my body. I invite you to give these practices a try. Apply them for a few weeks at least and see what happens.
For me, they changed my life entirely in the most positive and empowering way. Everything I have achieved; a happy family life, a wonderful husband and a successful career, is because I took the time and applied the work to change my negative thinking.
There is a saying that goes "you live most of your life inside your head. Make sure it's a nice place to be!" I could not agree more. And I believe the same applies to our bodies. You only have this one body, so make sure you treat it well- with good food, gentle movement and loving words.