The festive season can always put an extra impact on our nerves and anxieties when it comes to the added pressure of everything. It’s a season of indulgences but often we forget to indulge in self-love and can often put ourselves as last priority. This time of year is just as important as any to keep up the conversation of mental health and body positivity. I wanted to create a concept that is inclusive to anyone to join in, called Christmas Confidence. To raise each other’s spirits and talk openly about mental & physical health. Let’s share our fragile moments and also our badass ones and keep the conversation going.
‘Tis the season to be confident!
IMAGE BRIEF:
Sunday 2nd December is the ‘Launch Day’ where we spark up the conversation to the masses. Share, hashtag, comment and support everyone involved.
Take a photo of yourself in a festive setting, get creative & see examples below. Spark a conversation about yourself, whether that be something you love about your body, something you find difficult to accept, embracing a part of yourself or simply just looking incredible. Write a caption that talks about your image and explains what makes you feel confident. Talk about a part of yourself that you love.
The point of this is to support everyone involved no matter what their image or caption is about. Let’s share positivity and Christmas cheer in a way that’s not usually done. It’s an inclusive project so anyone can share and hashtag to join in. Spending a bit more time during the festive season on ourselves and our confidence is so important.
Share your image anytime on Sunday 2nd December and after this date with the hashtag #ChristmasConfidence and tag me @paigejoannaa for a chance to be featured in my Instagram highlights reel.
Image Examples:
Images shot by FiFi Newbery
Image examples found on Pinterest. Feat my friend Sophie Hannah (Glitter armpits or the win)!
My Story
This campaign has come from my own place of confidence. I’ve struggled this year with my chronic illnesses. I have Crohns Disease, Endometriosis and now Tendonitus due to Crohn’s being Auto Immune condition. With several trips to the hospital, this year and pain increasing my mental health has been really bad. I speak a lot about this on Instagram and YouTube to try to keep up the conversation. It’s with the intentions to normalise mental health problems in order to break the stigma and embarrassment attached to it.
Christmas is an amazing time of year which I always really look forward to. However, most of my life since I was 13 I have spent the lead up to Christmas in hospital, or poorly. My family has an inside joke that we are ‘cursed’ around this time of year as someone is always ill. I know from first-hand experience how hard it can be to be sick and feel extreme anxiety and depression when everything around you is designed to be festive and jolly.
People are still in hospital on Christmas day, or in pain, suffering depression or feel in a dark space. People can also spend it alone or without loved ones they have lost. We are so busy with nights out, seeing friends and family as well as all the other things leading up to Christmas we forget to look after ourselves. This can cause a huge impact on confidence and body positivity.
Christmas Confidence
It’s supposed to be a time of happiness and indulgences but we’re forgetting that life doesn’t just stop for this occasion. The conversation still needs to be heard just as strongly as the rest of the year. With Christmas Confidence, I want to make a campaign that not only keeps up the conversation of these issues but also creates a positive message around our bodies and minds. It’s not all negative when we can help each other remain positive and happy this time of year when the added pressure can be overwhelming.
I hope you will join me and get involved. Share your image, your story and let’s support each other whilst keeping up the conversation. Launch day is Sunday 2nd December and after this date with the hashtag #ChristmasConfidence and tag me @paigejoannaa for a chance to be featured in my Instagram highlights reel.
IMAGES BY FIFI
My photo shoot was shot by the amazing FiFi Newbery. I had a concept to shoot a body positivity style shoot within a festive setting. Capturing my story was the challenge but that’s why I used my Tens machine, which is something that can help manage my pain in my tummy. The water represents my anxiety and depression as I often describe it as coming up for air. Then the silver dress and gems were about party season and trying to look and feel good in my body whilst masking my insecurities. I really hope you like them. Now it is your turn to get creative!
All my love xxx