Take a Selfie.

Junior and Editor, Abby Thomas, takes us on her own journey of self confidence which began with selfies.

It was the year 2015. Chainsmokers had just released a “song” that is more like a headache stimulating noise for three minutes that reminds me of a thousand bad memories but also dance parties to the beat. “#SELFIE '' was played in every hallway, car ride, blasted on my little iHome speaker from my iPod Touch, and five years later I find myself coming back to this song. I am not going back to the actual song that immediately just gives me a headache, and not for the explicit lyrics either (I am still surprised I was allowed to listen to that song when I was that young). Instead, I am simply taking a selfie!

Ever since we have been on quarantine, my weight has increased -weight increasing and decreasing is normal and is supposed to happen as your body changes- and my self-esteem has lowered along with it. Working out is a mental wall that I cannot seem to climb over, and honestly, I just do not feel the love with myself that I once had. This journey of unlocking self-love is not easy at all, and will never be, but I do have one thing that has brought me joy during this battle; selfies.

Currently, I am sitting in front of the fireplace with my dog, I have a bedhead still, eyes are red from the immense amount of homework, and I have coffee-stained teeth. My skin glows with oils from overnight and I could use some deodorant. However, I feel calm, I feel good. IT IS SELFIE TIME. Taking a mini Snapchat encapsulates this feeling for another day when I am chest-deep in the battle. Additionally, looking back at these selfies reminds me that there are good days in the bad.

Here are the steps to take your #SELFIE. First of all, you cannot critique the selfie. The purpose of this selfie is for yourself, not to take 100 until you get the right one, or spend a long time on it. Next, save it! I recommend making an album on your phone for these memories (for me it is just the liked photos), and that is it. That is literally it. You do not need a 3:04 (Spotify) song to tell you what your selfie should like, and not an Instagram comment saying “pretty!” or “gorg”. Instead, you are creating a little memory for yourself, that those good days exist, and bad days do too, but in this exact moment, when you pull out your phone to take a picture, you feel love and confidence.