As we grow older, so does our body. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If you don’t believe us, maybe you’d like to hear actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ perspective on body image issues. HT quoted her saying,
“Well, I won’t lie that I don’t get affected by it. My body has changed as I’ve gotten older, just as everyone’s body does, and I’ve had to adapt mentally as well with like, OK, this is what it looks like now, this is what I look like now, it’s alright, and catering to my now body and not my 10- or 20-years-ago body.”
Further explaining how she deals with the constant scrutiny over her looks she added,
“I think that that’s very crucial and I feel like that really takes finding a sense of confidence in what you bring to the table outside of what you look like. I always think about, how am I contributing? What is my purpose? Am I doing good with the tasks that I’ve been given for the day? I try to be myopic about feeling good about other things, even on days that I don’t feel the best about my body, and I work toward whatever makes me happy at that time.”
“I just try to remind myself that I am loved and I feel good from the inside. I feel confident when I walk into a room and I try to remind myself that that has nothing to do with my body. Even though this culture gives credence to that, too much, maybe.”
Yahoo News also quoted her talking about prioritizing her mental health by giving herself enough family time.
“One thing which I do try to do is, after my day of work, I like to have time with my family; I always prioritize that. It makes my heart feel lighter. It makes me feel like your days are worth something when you come back home to a house full of people or whoever is with you at that point… that really helps me. Especially during this pandemic, it was really helpful to stay in touch with my friends and family, wherever in the world they are.”
She added,
“Besides that, I try to take time when I work out to myself. I definitely make sure that that’s when I listen to the music that I want to listen to, it’s my time. Nick and I work out together too sometimes, but we both do it in our own individual bubbles [laughs] — it’s really funny. But that really gives me a sense of centering.
And most importantly, I always every week — especially right now because I’m filming an action show — try to take a bath. Bathtub, bubbles, music… just sitting with my thoughts every weekend with a facial mask. Finding time for yourself is basically the broader answer, making sure you prioritize yourself and [don’t] just keep running when you’re feeling caught up in the heaviness of the time we’re in right now.”
Even though we already knew some of these things, it is still great to be reminded by a celebrity that our confidence shouldn’t be tied to our looks and that our mental health should take precedence over work.