Body Positive Affirmations For Swimwear Season

Our survey data proves just how much we need a body confidence boost and the reminder that we should love the body that we are in. The top reason across the board for not wanting to wear a swimsuit or bikini is not having a flat stomach which was named as the top by 44% of the women surveyed.  

In fact, the majority of the top 15 list is made up of aesthetic-related issues; having gained weight is second on the list followed by a similar concern of feeling ‘wobbly.’ Cellulite is fifth on the list (29%) and stretch marks are sixth (28%), which is extremely sad to see given that both are extremely natural side effects of our bodies growing and adapting as we mature. For example, stretch marks come for many girls when going through puberty and they start developing boobs and hips, and they are often unavoidable when going through pregnancy.  

The worry of judgement also informs a lot of the reasons impacting the way people feel about wearing a bikini. Fourth on the list and named as the top concern by 30% of women is the worry that others will criticise their body and the concern of being stared at is seventh (27%). Social media pressure is the 10th biggest reason behind women not wanting to wear a bikini (19%) and not looking like a celebrity’s body is 14th (17%).

Although the pressure of a washboard stomach is the main issue across the board, the concerns vary when you look at each generation. 

Gen Z (born in 1997-2012) 

The first generation to grow up with the internet as a part of daily life, online comparisons and social media pressure are most prevalent for Gen Z when it comes to how they feel about wearing swimwear. It’s a concern for nearly 30% of this group of women, compared to other generations they are the most affected by it. Unlike the generations that came before them, Gen Z has always had easy access to other people’s lives through the tap of a button, which has resulted in many parents, guardians, and even academics curious about the impacts this has on the well-being of young people. 

Comparison to others and judgement for other people dominate many of the top issues for this generation; the worry of others staring at them in a bikini is the second biggest issue followed by criticism of their bodies in third.  

Aesthetics also play on the minds of Gen Z when it comes to wearing a swimsuit; stretch marks are fifth on the list, whilst not having thighs that touch complete the top 10. The obsession with a ‘thigh gap’ gained a lot of traction when Tumblr was at its peak popularity, causing a lot of people to become fixated on the idea of thigh gaps being a signal of health and attraction. 

Interestingly, the survey results reveal that this generation of young women over index on the worry of others criticising their body – more than any other age group.  

Millennials (born in 1981-1996) 

Although Millennials share many of the same concerns that Gen Z do, there are some interesting differences too. Seven of their top 10 issues are related to the way they look – not having a flat stomach once again comes out on top, followed by weight gain, feeling wobbly and stretch marks. Cellulite is the sixth biggest issue, being named by 34% of Millennials, followed by having a thigh gap (29%) and being pale is ninth (23%).  

For those in this age group, they over index on the issue of not wearing a bikini due to not having a flat stomach.  

Gen X (born in 1965–1980) 

For those born between 1965 and 1980, the survey results reveal that the concern they over index on is having cellulite, which is the third largest concern preventing this generation from wearing a bikini. Making up the rest of the top three reasons is the pressure to have a flat stomach and weight gain, in first and second place, respectively.  

For the first time on these generational lists, saggy boobs are named as the 10th biggest issue for Gen X when it comes to putting on their swimwear, being named by 17% of women in this age group.  

Baby Boomers (born in 1946–1964) 

The concern that Boomer's over-index on is wrinkly skin, which is revealed as the seventh largest concern for those in this age group (19%). Ageing skin may be a concern for a lot of people; however, it is only listed as one of the main reasons for not wearing a bikini for this age group. As this is the eldest generation included in the study, it is obviously going to be an issue that they are more likely to be facing and worrying about, however, it shouldn’t prevent anyone from wearing fashionable and supportive swimwear this summer.  

Like Generation X, Boomer’s are also worried about sagging boobs, which completes the top 10 list of issues for this generation, making them the only age groups to list this as a top concern.  

As part of the research, we asked the survey participants to choose from a list of words they would use to describe the feelings that crop up when they wear a bikini or swimsuit. Sadly, no age group had any positive words in their top 10 list and just 10% of women said they feel a sense of confidence in swimwear.  

Embarrassment, anxiety and nervousness are the top three words women used to describe how they feel when they wear a bikini. The picture doesn’t get any brighter the further you go down the list of adjectives; dread is fourth on the list being named by over a quarter of women (26%) and worry is fifth (25%).  

Top 10 Emotions Felt When Wearing Swimwear 

 These feelings are consistent across the board; for each generation the average response was 83% negative feelings, whilst just 17% of all responses were positive feelings. This negative versus positive split is much the same for most of the age groups; however, Generation X have the worst experience when wearing bikinis as 89% described negative feelings when they put on swimwear.  

Interestingly, Gen X born between 1965–1980 are likely to fall into the ‘almond mom’ demographic which has gained a lot of traction on TikTok this year. In case you are wondering what defines an almond mom; essentially, they are women from an era when diets reigned supreme, you were praised for being skinny, and if you’re feeling hungry, a couple of almonds should do it. On TikTok alone, #almondmom has over 189 million views, with many people highlighting the effects it can have on young people if they are being raised by someone who sees thinness as the ultimate goal. 

For the other generations, Gen Z had an 83% negative response when asked how they feel wearing swimwear, with 36% of those saying they feel anxious more than anything else. Meanwhile, 84% of Millennials felt negatively about wearing a bikini with anxiety being the most common way to describe the way they feel. It is the same for Boomers, however, it is embarrassment that this generation feels more than anything else, with 32% of this generation describing wearing a bikini as embarrassing.  

To create affirmations that target our swimwear woes, we collaborated with Latha Jay, a spiritual manifestation coach who uses a blend of modern knowledge with traditional wisdom to teach people how to shift perceptions, manifest, and live their best lives.  

We worked with Latha Jay to create the perfect manifestations to help us conquer the most common worries that were revealed from our survey.

Repeat your affirmation in the morning upon waking and right before going to bed at night. You can also write them on a piece of paper, tape them to your mirror and keep a copy with you in the day. When you see the paper remember to mentally rehearse or say out loud the affirmations. The more you use them the more you get used to them. 

Latha Jay commented: “Shifting the way you interact with your body can truly change so many things about your life. These affirmations are best repeated throughout the day but especially first thing in the morning when you first wake up and look in the mirror. Replace your morning mirror intrusive thoughts with supportive affirmations. Working with these in the morning starts your day off on a loving note and sets the tone for the rest of your day.” 

If you are worried about getting into a bikini this summer, try practising these manifestations and make sure you have supportive swimwear that helps you to feel your best.

We conducted a survey on 2,000 British women to reveal the top swimwear-related insecurities. The survey was conducted June 2023. 

All affirmations were created in collaboration with Latha Jay: https://www.lathajay.com.