Having Negative Thoughts About Your Body? Iskra Lawrence Says to Get in Front of a Mirror

Updated on June 19, 2019 at 11:35 AM

Tory Rust for Women’s Health

Iskra Lawrence doesn't focus on her so-called "imperfections" anymore; instead, the #AerieREAL Role Model has retrained her mind to see what's actually there: beauty. She's long been an advocate for body positivity and self-care — she told POPSUGAR in the past that meditation is her go-to as well as working out regularly. And the British curve model, 28, opened up to Women's Health in a recent interview about her journey toward accepting her body for its true worth.

As a teen, Iskra was "confused" by her body that, at age 13, was bigger than most models in the thigh-gap-obsessed industry (but was healthy). She developed an eating disorder and body dysmorphia. We can go on about what flaws Iskra saw in herself — which she now accepts as natural and uniquely hers — but that's not the point.

The point is that something shifted — she grew more confident in her skin. Ahead, check out how Iskra reworked her mindset and wants you to do the same. Plus, you'll find a love letter Iskra wrote to herself last year that's as inspiring today as it was then.

Iskra Lawrence Rejects Retouching

Iskra has spoken to POPSUGAR in past interviews about the importance of unretouched photos. When she books a shoot, she'll request no retouching. To Women's Health, she recalled a shoot early in her career that really opened her eyes to just how far photo editing can go. Iskra barely recognized herself in those images: they gave her a thigh gap, smoothed her skin, even removed her moles.

"A team of people decided these things made me more beautiful. But these were things I couldn't achieve," she said. "I never realized the impact it had on me, but I then thought about the impact it had on everyone consuming these images. It can be so damaging for your mental health and body image."

At her very first shoot with Aerie in 2014, the brand made Iskra feel accepted for who she was. So that's what she wants to bring to her 4.5 million Instagram followers and the rest of the world: the notion that you are enough and the reminder of how prevalent and severe retouched images can be.

Iskra Lawrence Changed Her Vocabulary

Now, Iskra uses words like "CelluLIT" and "tiger stripes" in place of cellulite and stretch marks. She also has banned words and phrases like "flaw" or "problem area" from her vocabulary — and for good reason. "If you can get rid of that negative terminology or embrace it, it's going to make you feel better," she told Women's Health. This, in turn, makes self-love easier to attain and negative self-talk harder to stick.

How Iskra Lawrence Combats Negative Self-Talk

Iskra, like any of us, isn't perfect — she still has negative thoughts about her body sometimes. But, to get through those rough patches and to ground herself back in self-love, she does "mirror work," she told Women's Health. She looks in the mirror and gives the woman staring back at her a compliment instead of dwelling on putting herself down.

"It's something you have to do daily until you get to a strong, confident place," Iskra said. "And it's something that you have to revisit when you're questioning yourself." With these adverse thoughts, she also wants you to "get out of your head" and break down why you might be feeling that negativity. Redefine the narrative playing in your head because, like Iskra preaches, what's on the outside is worth loving.