The Strength Project #7 ~ Ellie-May Loveridge...

By Lucy Harbron - 20:16


"If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely."

I've followed Ellie for a while and her instagram is possibly one of my favourite corners of the Internet, it's bursting with colour, and positivity, and love. It's impossible to visit her profile and not feel happy, yet Ellie herself has battled with eating disorders and body image. I was eager to chat to her about both personal and public strength and see how her positivity online coupled with her personal struggles has shaped her view on strength...

What does strength mean to you? 

Strength, for me, is not about just getting through everything and doing amazingly; it's when you can feel so terrible and horrible in yourself but you let yourself feel it, you let yourself have bad days. It's okay to feel this way and feel that today won't be the best but it's always having that little bit of you inside saying 'you have to carry on, you can do this' and no matter how much you have to go through you still remember that.

Could you tell me about a time when strength was evident in your life? 

Fighting an eating disorder. I have a while now and I used to feel like I should give up because it had gone on too long and maybe it would be easier if I let it win, but I didn't and I won't, I still have these thoughts but my strength will not let me act on them, it's why I think of Luke (Ellie's best friend) as my strength.

Do you think strength is something you’re born with, or something you develop?

I think everyone has strength just sometimes people don't see it as strength as they're being so hard on themselves, like for me I believe so many people are strong for still getting out of bed every morning and doing what they can even if it's just going on a little walk.

Your social media is so full of positivity and positive messages for your followers, do you think helping others helps you feel stronger in yourself?

This is definitely it. I still struggle very much with eating problems and self confidence, but when I do something like post a picture of me or how I look now I panic about it and it does make me so nervous about what people think but once I see those pictures helping others it really helps me to feel more confident in myself.

Do you think that practising self love and self care is essential to strength? 

I don't believe it's essential to begin with as I believe so many people wouldn't feel they could when first starting seeing the problems they're having. So I'd say a good place to start with strength, like I said before is just getting up and telling yourself today will be a good day or leaving an alarm with a positive message as that really helps me to wake up and feel better about having breakfast.

In a society so influenced by media impressions of what is beautiful and harmful standards presented in magazines etc, do you think the relationship people have with their body can have an effect on their strength?

It can have an effect on their self worth and self confidence which can make them look down on themselves and this can cause them to feel they should give up yes; but for me I believe once we start to give ourselves positive words or comments, or even just things like buying ourselves new clothes or food it can make us start to see that maybe we're not the girl on a magazine but no one is, every front cover is different just like we are and we can't change that so we have to find what we like about ourselves.

Is there anyone in your life that really inspires you through their strength?

I cry whenever I get to this but Luke will always inspire me for everything he's been through. I can't say it enough but he's been through so much and still he fights and pushes through, and I know he doesn't see it like I do but it means the world to me to see him where he is now, and I will keep helping him as much as I can. He's just done so much and he inspires me to keep going everyday, I don't know what I'd do without him .

When do you feel strongest?

There's days when I'm very determined and just ready to fight through what I'm going through and those days I treasure so much, but I also know that those days do not last for ever. But the more I keep going the more I'll have them and I know that summer will be spent with my sunshine.

Could you describe what strength means to you in 3 words? 

Honesty, smiling, breath 


----------

Ellie's instagram is a must-follow, she's like a daily dose of sunshine and inspiration.

Find Ellie-
  • Instagram- @Fl0ralpastel

  • Share:

You Might Also Like

0 comments

Talk to me...