We live in a world that is very much influenced by social media. And what we usually scroll through is a never-ending chain of pictures that showcase happy people with perfect bodies in beautiful places. If there were times when these moments from someone’s life used to encourage us to strive for more and for the better, now often people find these images to be a reminder that someone is doing much more than you. Despite the fact that society doesn’t avoid various discussions about body image, it’s still quite rare to see people who are open about how they really look in reality, without trying to force perfect body image.

One of these people is Bree Lenehan, who is a social media content creator and business owner. The woman who already has an army of followers caught everyone’s attention by posting side-by-side pictures of her posed and real-looking body.

More Info: Instagram | TikTok | Youtube

#1

Image credits: breeelenehan

The woman, who is known for her followers on social media as a Youtuber and the author, talks about health, self-love, and positivity. Bree started posting these two-sided pictures every Monday, calling it “Real Me Monday” by revealing that good looks can be posed and that people should love their bodies for what they look like in reality.

#2

Image credits: breeelenehan

#3

Image credits: breeelenehan

#4

Image credits: breeelenehan

Bored Panda contacted the creator to find out more about her project. Bree shared that she was surprised to see so many people love her idea of showing her real self and encouraging others to do so. “It made sense to me that people are craving realness & relatability instead of the posed, perfected, fakeness we usually consume on social media. It made my heart happy to help people feel better and more loving towards themselves”, added the woman.

#5

Image credits: breeelenehan

#6

Image credits: breeelenehan

#7

Image credits: breeelenehan

Bree also revealed some details about the very start of her project. Even though people might seem to want to see more relatable body images on the Internet, but it takes courage to show people how you really look without knowing how they’ll react to it. The woman revealed why she started her project: “I first started the weekly series of ‘Real Me Monday’ because I'd experienced negative body image growing up & I wanted to challenge myself to put my real self out there, instead of posting my ‘perfect’ self online”. She also added that this practice made her more comfortable with how she looks like and boosted her confidence. Bree also didn’t hide the fact that by doing this she was able to help others to overcome their insecurities.

#8

Image credits: breeelenehan

#9

Image credits: breeelenehan

#10

Image credits: breeelenehan

For those who are trying to find themselves and are struggling with accepting the way they look, Bree says: “Prioritize positive self talk...We underestimate the power of our minds. We can't possibly ‘fall’ into loving ourselves. It takes practice, time and a lot of kindness. So in any endeavor for self love, it's not about how the outside looks, it's about what the inside says! Being kinder to myself has changed my world".