Health - Psychology. How to accept yourself in a swimsuit?

Wearing a swimsuit is about showing yourself as you are, with fewer filters and fewer escape routes. "Swimsuits strip away social armor," notes Christian Richomme. "It reduces the safety distance that everyday clothing offers us." This is often where complexes, narcissistic wounds, and insecurities come to light.

Our body then becomes the mirror of our history. "It tells of a social background, a medical history, a pregnancy, scars, age... It's a heritage that we show without always having chosen it," he continues.

The weight of the gaze and comparison

In a world saturated with idealized images—tanned, muscular, smooth bodies displayed in magazines and on social media, retouched and filtered to the extreme—it's becoming difficult not to compare ourselves. And above all, not to identify with an impossible ideal.

But "it's good to remember that 'Insta' bodies are scripted, filtered. Reality is much more diverse. Others also have their doubts, their flaws, their stories," the psychotherapist reminds us.

To successfully accept yourself in a swimsuit, the work must begin well before the beach. Christian Richomme recommends a simple exercise to his patients.

"Take a moment in front of the mirror, at home, in your swimsuit. Not to hunt for flaws, but to look at yourself gently. Not to check if you're 'drinkable,' but to understand your image without judgment, to also identify your qualities, your particularities."

It's not just about "trying on the swimsuit", "but about spending at least an hour at home in this garment" .

Have fun above all

It is also important to remember that the reason for going to the beach or the pool is not to "put on a fashion show, but to enjoy the water, the sun, the setting," insists the psychotherapist. It would be a shame to spoil these simple moments of well-being.

Source: interview with Christian Richomme, psychoanalyst in Paris