Feel Weird Without Clothes? Do This If Being Naked Doesn’t Feel Empowering to You
What if we told you that it’s 100% okay if being naked makes you uncomfortable?
You might have to read this back a few times to believe it, but trust us when we say that feeling uncomfortable while naked doesn’t make you strange, naive, insecure, or whatever lie your inner critic tries to tell you. It just makes you human.
So, what if you don’t feel like a badass without clothes? That doesn’t make you any less empowered than someone who’s all in with the clothing-optional lifestyle, and there are so many reasons why women and LGBTQ+ folks, especially, struggle with discomfort when stripping down. Between the objectification, shame, and hypersexualization that are steeped into our society and targeted towards anyone that isn’t a cishet white male, it’s no wonder why it’s difficult for people to feel comfortable in their bodies.
Here it is: Our biggest piece of advice is to give yourself grace if being nude isn’t a great time for you. But if you’ve found yourself struggling with your discomfort, here’s what you can do instead of putting yourself down about it:
1. Remember that there’s more than one way to be empowered.
‘Get naked’ is good advice for some people, but not for all. If you find your liberation in wearing makeup, performing well at work, or whatever the case is, then more power to you!
2. Own your confidence.
Being uncomfortable while naked doesn’t always equal low confidence, so give yourself a break if you believe taking a nude selfie is the only way to feel at your best. Here’s a reminder that you can express yourself in any way you please, so you should do it in a way that feels right for you—with or without clothes.
3. Give yourself permission to do what feels good for you.
Pigging-back on our point above, at the end of the day, being naked will never be empowering if it doesn’t feel good to you, and that’s okay! So discover other ways to tap into that side of yourself that don’t include taking your clothes off and stick it to anyone—even yourself—who tries to tell you differently.
Written by Reese Williams.
Reese is a full-time freelance copywriter and a part-time plant mom, cook, and thrift shop regular. When she’s not caring for her plant babies or cooking up a new dish she found on TikTok, you’ll usually find her online at fiverr.
