Body Shaping: Body identity in a Covid crisis

With the Covid crisis becoming an uncontrollable global problem, governments have designated time for citizens to control their own movement. Restrictive access to everyday normalities and routines, have enabled people to ponder on what living really means to them. There is no doubt that for many people, Covid has played with mental health, and caused an astronomical decline in the way in which young people perceive their future. In this current situation, the body is marked as the prime factor determining importance. However, it is questionable as to the extent to which Covid is delegitimising our own agency over our bodies, and it can be disputed that other factors take precedence. In conversation with Hendrike Rahtz and Isara Rose O'Kane, I was informed of their own dilemmas and perceptions of their body in a Covid climate. Preponderance must be given to the notion of people being able to trust their body, and this article explores this necessity.

Hendrike Rahtz

1) What is your relationship with your body now?

At the moment, I’ve been trying to look after my body and be healthier as in summer I was not eating enough and drinking a bit too much! I feel quite confident, but I think that’s because I love autumn/winter fashion more than spring/summer so I naturally feel more confident in my trousers and many types of coats!

2) Has your relationship with your body changed? If there is no change, why do you think that is?

As someone who suffered with low self-esteem for all her teenage years (hormones, I was told), once I hit 21+ something changed when I realised that there were more important things to worry about – but I’m still not completely confident in my body. I think these thoughts will always be tucked away and occasionally, on your worst days, they resurface.

3) Do you think Covid has had any impact on your relationship with your body?

Before the pandemic, I was doing regular exercise classes and walking around – a lot. I was super busy because I worked in a bar, while in my third year of uni, while also being a Deputy Editor for the uni’s lifestyle magazine. This made me feel, for one of the first times in my life, confident in myself and my body. Being healthy and happy did help! But when we were locked down, I couldn’t be the busy person I was. I started to overthink, i.e. ‘I MUST do exercise to balance out the food I’m eating’, because I was mostly just sitting around all day trying to write my dissertation. Because of this, I focused a lot more on my body as being something I had to constantly work on, but mixed with the anxiety of the pandemic and finishing uni, this was not a healthy mindset. In short, I had the time to overthink and focus on my ‘flaws’, and subsequently relapse into the unhealthy thought processes I had in my teenage years.

4) Do you think that there are any factors that have affected the way that you see your body? If so, what factors are they, and how have they had an impact?

The rise in inclusivity in the modelling industry has definitely helped. The definition of ‘beauty’ is so narrow minded and was advertised by models for every brand. Now, however, the definition is widening, and it’s very encouraging to see – especially seeing clothes on models that have your body shape! We’re obviously still a long way off, but the beginning of this inclusivity is encouraging. Also, social media can definitely help – I follow some influencers/models for fashion inspiration, but they tend to heavily edit their photos and can seem quite unrealistic, so sometimes this can feel daunting if I’m having a bad day. However, social media also gives an opportunity for many women to avoid or even challenge that, so I also follow a lot feminists and activists that post a lot of body-confident photos that defy ‘perfection’ and this definitely makes a difference.

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Isara Rose O'Kane

1) What is your relationship with your body now?

As with everyone, it's complex. I have days where I love the curves, the rolls, the stretch marks. And there's other days where I can't look at myself without crying. As of right now? Pretty good, I think. About an hour ago I had takeout and shared a family tub of ice-cream with my significant other; and frankly I feel pretty good about it.

2) Has your relationship with your body changed? If there is no change, why do you think that is?

Oh for sure. I had a super solid relationship with my body maybe a few years back. I was in university and I was in the gym a few times a week, I was able to keep myself healthy in a way that I can't now. I had a baby two years ago and that sent my body image into complete turmoil. After childbirth, I spent the better half of a year trying to create a healthy relationship with my body. Although truth is, I hated it. I thought because I was young, after a while it would bounce back and just be, well- less permanent. No amount of post-partum body positivity posts could have changed that. It's been pretty tumultuous ever since.

3) Do you think Covid has had any impact on your relationship with your body?

Yes and no. I think like most people, I seen Covid as (almost) an opportunity to get fit and lose a bunch of weight that I couldn't find the time to shift otherwise. I ended up not doing that, and for a few weeks while people were posting progress pictures and workout videos, I started to really resent myself for not doing it. During the summer, I went full circle and stopped caring again. I think that if social media didn't exist, I'd be more at peace with my weight fluctuating.

4) Do you think that there are any factors that have affected the way that you see your body? If so, what factors are they, and how have they had an impact?

Social media. ALL social media. I think there's this ever-changing social landscape of what the "acceptable" body is, and it gives everyone a chance to have their 15 minutes of fame to celebrate their bodies. Until it's suddenly not what's in and we all move on. When I was around fourteen, I wanted nothing but a thigh gap. Like, was desperate to have a thigh gap. And then thigh gaps were suddenly gross and being thick was the "good body type". I enjoyed that era because I felt as though my body type was the best one. Which is pretty messed up anyway. But now it's being slim-thick, but muscular; and I've lost out there. Maybe if I just looked at my body every now and again and just said to myself, "yeah, this one's good!" then I'd be better off. I just have a lot of unlearning to do.