How Being Naked Will Help You Love Yourself More

 
 

Being naked isn’t just for sexy times. Being naked is for you, for your enjoyment, sensuality, well-being, and yes your mental health.

Let’s talk about:

  • Mental and Physical Benefits of Being Naked

  • Why Are We Not Already Comfortable Being Naked?

  • How To Be More Comfortable Naked

  • Where Can You Be Naked?

Mental And Physical Benefits of Being Naked

We are taught from a young age that we should be covered up at any moment outside of our sex lives. But is that true? Well, no. It’s not.

  • Vitamin D - We all know that we need to be wearing sunscreen to protect our skin. But according to this study, being naked outside boosts your vitamin D which in turn boosts your mood and can lead to more happiness overall.

  • Healthy Skin - Our skin needs air and breathability to be healthy, allowing ourselves to be naked allows our sweat and dead skin cells to actually leave our body instead of being held against the skin and potentially reabsorbed.

  • Improves Blood Circulation- without having overly restrictive clothing, we are improving our body’s ability to circulate our blood.

  • Reduce Red marks - no more red marks from your waistbands, bras, panties, etc.

  • Relaxes You- there is something uniquely freeing about just sitting around naked and existing in a non-sexual way.

  • Improves Fertility- tight or restrictive clothing can restrict blood flow to the penis which in turn can lower sperm count.

  • Improves Body Image- being naked can help us become more comfortable with the appearance of our bodies, as well as the general shape and feel of it.

  • Improves our ability to be vulnerable- allowing ourselves to be vulnerable in nakedness and comfortable with it can increase our abilities to be vulnerable in other situations. We may be better able to understand ourselves and our own needs.

  • Improves Sex- Just because it’s not about sex, doesn’t mean it can’t help! When you are more comfortable with your own body, you are more likely to enjoy sharing your body with your partner. Comfortability with your body can lead to more fun and adventurous sex.

  • Improves your self-esteem- being fully nude gives you no place to hide, which can lead to you embracing your body as it is. Your body is beautiful, unique, and powerful!

Why Are We Not Already Comfortable Naked?

We, especially women, are taught from a very young age that our bodies are wrong. Our bodies are something to be ashamed of. 

When I was young, I was taught to cover up at school, I couldn’t wear spaghetti straps because my shoulders were too much for the boys! When I developed breasts, I wasn’t allowed to wear swimsuits because my body was deemed inappropriate by my parents and something I should hide from the world.

When someone embraces their body, embraces themselves, they are labeled in some ‘negative’ way. Whore, Weirdo, Freak, Slut. You’ve heard them before. We are taught to love ourselves, but not too much. Be ourselves, but not too much. Well, I say BLEEP THAT!

With a world like this, and many people having experiences similar to mine growing up, no wonder we become ashamed of showing our bodies. It’s not a mystery why we grow up to believe that our bodies should be hidden.

We as human beings have to work hard to destroy the shame that has been ingrained into us throughout our lives.

How to Be More Comfortable Naked

In what ways can you help yourself be more comfortable being naked, not only in your own home, maybe you will start venturing to clothing-optional hot springs or going on naked hikes someday!

  • Write it out - Why do you want to be naked? Why do you want to be more comfortable with this? Try to identify reasons that are for you, and only you. “I want to be more comfortable being naked so I can feel more comfortable being intimate with my partner” NOT “I want to be comfortable being naked so my partner enjoys our time at home more”. There is nothing wrong with doing things for other people, or making things more fun for other people. This is simply an exercise of self-care and self-love, so do your best to keep it about yourself!

  • Go slow- start spending more time naked. Don’t force yourself into anything you aren’t comfortable with. Maybe you will go to bed naked tonight. Anytime you are home alone you can do it in your birthday suit! Move slow, and move forward.

  • Participate in a boudoir photoshoot - I have participated in multiple boudoir shoots in my life, once as a gift for my husband, and twice for myself. There is something uniquely empowering about seeing yourself in the view of a lens when you are posed by a professional. Boudoir shoots can help you view your body in a whole new way. My photoshoots allowed me a way to admire my body as a sexual, sensual and beautiful human being. Clementine Boudoir is one of the best photographers I have had the privilege to work with. She makes sure you are fully comfortable. She brought mimosas for me, and had a beautiful saying for me to say out loud to myself about loving my own body. She makes sure to incorporate the person you are into your shoot. And I even have a wonderful photo she took of me hanging in my bedroom. Alaura is a beautiful soul and promotes sensual self-love which is an often overlooked and looked down on aspect of self-care, but make no mistake, it is just as important as all parts of loving yourself.

  • Compliment yourself- Stand in front of the mirror and tell yourself what you like and love about your body. For some of us, this can be really difficult, take this slow too. Allow yourself to feel whatever emotions come forward.

  • Remind yourself that your body is unique- Your body isn’t meant to look like anyone else’s, every single body is unique to their person. Just in case you don’t believe me… Did you know that it wasn’t until the summer of 1939 that women began being measured to standardize clothing sizes for the median sizes for ready-to-wear clothing production? It wasn’t until the 1950s that ready-to-wear clothing became more the norm. Everyone had unique to their individual body type clothing up until that point. (Which by the way is why clothing always looks better on the model, it’s made for their body)

  • Commission a painting of yourself - Cassie Bratton has created a beautiful community of self-love and body positivity through her naked portraits. She asks for all the nudes you could want to send her! Seeing your body created through the eyes of a talented artist is an unusual and beautiful way to admire yourself. You could hang an elegant portrait of your naked body in your home and be forever reminded of how incredible your body truly is. I love what she is doing and wanted to make sure every one of my readers had the opportunity to learn about her and her business.

  • Be patient and compassionate with yourself - Throughout most of our lives, we are told to cover up and hide our bodies. You are working to remove years of conditioning for you to be more comfortable with yourself and your body. Some days will be easier to look in the mirror and go “Damn I look good”. Some days, eye contact with yourself will be difficult. That is okay. Give yourself time, give yourself grace, and give yourself compassion.

  • Take a thousand naked pictures of yourself now- take photos of yourself constantly, you are a beautiful and unique human being. Document that! Take naked pictures of yourself every single time you have the opportunity. Lizzo even recommends taking photos of yourself explicitly when you don’t feel your best! Lizzo posted her nudes on Twitter saying, “I was feeling bloated so I took some nudes.... I feel great now bitch." 

Where Can You Be Naked?

So where can you even be naked at? That is an excellent question, anywhere that all involved parties have consented to you not having clothes on!

  • Your own bedroom - what you do in the privacy of your bedroom is no one else’s business. So spend that time in your birthday suit!

  • Your back yard- if you have a pool, hot tub, or any level of privacy in your backyard I highly recommend taking the opportunity to be naked outdoors. Don’t have the privacy? Go out at night, to sit on your patio, or in your yard. (Just make sure that no one will see you that hasn’t consented to it… CONSENT IS KEY)

  • Your whole house- some of you may live with people, or have children. This can present some added challenges to your naked journey. Try to think outside the box. Schedule time for all the kids to stay over at their grandparent’s house. Wake up early or stay up late to take advantage of the private time.

  • Clothing-optional hotel - some hotels across the country are specifically designed for you to exist in nothing but your own skin. 

  • Clothing-optional hot springs- I live in Colorado, and one of my favorite ways to be naked in a non-sexual and public way is one of the many clothing-optional hot springs that are in the area, maybe there aren’t hot springs where you live, but you may be surprised to find other clothing-optional events or venues in your area if you look for them!

  • In nature- going out to a remote part of the mountains or the woods and stripping down will not only improve your general mood because there is nothing better in my opinion, but it will also help bring you closer to nature and give you a new perspective on the world around you.


What do you think? Are you going to be naked more often? Where are you at in your journey? Let me know!

 
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