Eva Alordiah: How to deal with body shaming

Eva Alordiah, the Nigerian rapper, says body shaming can lead to depression and mental issues if not handled properly.

According to NAN, the musician, who spoke in Lagos on Sunday, said “self-awareness” is vital in shielding against the negative impact of body shaming.

She added that when people become aware of themselves, they pay little importance to the opinion of others about them.

“Body image is the perception that a person has of their physical self and the thoughts and feelings that result from that perception,” she said.

“These feelings can be positive, negative, or both, and are influenced by individual and environmental factors.

“Self-awareness and trusting in ones’ inner guardians were the major therapies in improving self-image positivity and building self-confidence.

“People need to be self-aware of whom they are; self-awareness is, possibly, the only thing that we need as individuals to forge ahead.

“When you become aware of whom you are as an individual, it means that you can forget about everybody else and their opinions about you.

“Just trust your inner guardian. People have, over time, been taught to trust in some gods, some gods in the sky. We live our lives looking for some forces outside to save us, thinking that a messiah will come to save us. We have forgotten that our saviour is inside us, so we really need to connect to that part of ourselves inside us.

“Through that, we will be more aware of ourselves and know when and how external factors are influencing us. We need to know when the thoughts we are nursing are not ours. And the only way you believe what people are telling you will be when you are not aware of yourself. But if you know who you are, nobody will tell you something else.”