It’s that time of year again! With Chicago beaches opening for the season this Friday, having the ol’ bod beach-ready is at the top of everyone’s list. Some quick tips for making sure you’re all set:

1. Look down, check the mirror, give a pinch or simply note that you do, in fact, have a body.

2. Take it to a beach.

Unfortunately, we all know it’s not that easy. How we’ve been trained to feel about our bodies impacts not only what we physically do with them, but also our overall well-being. In the words of Emily Nagoski, “The day you were born, the world had a choice about what to teach you about your body. It could have taught you to live with confidence and joy… It could have taught you that your body and your sexuality are beautiful gifts. But instead, the world taught you to feel critical of and dissatisfied…”

We are not born this way; those critiques are planted and the roots run deep. To wit, toddlers are not bumbling around lamenting the shape of their thighs or swell of their bellies. The voices and beliefs that keep us from feeling confident living in our bodies were absorbed and learned over time, thus they can also be unlearned. One research-based way toward this works with cognitive dissonance, uprooting internalized body-shaming thoughts and replacing them with healthier, more positive ones.

Mirror Exercise

1. Stand as near to naked as you are comfortable in front of a full length mirror

2. Note all of the things you like about what you see and write them down

This really is exercise. It’s difficult and sometimes it hurts. It will probably be uncomfortable and, initially, like some live-action Cathy cartoon, you’ll notice your mind is great at playing your usual hits, such as, “Ack, My Cellulite,” and “Lamenting Those Lovehandles.” When you keep it up long enough, you may even find some B-sides, “How Is My Left Shoulder So Much Higher Than My Right?” and “My Big Toes Are Wonky.” Ultimately, however, you’ll notice the healthier parts of you strengthened, allowing what you love to come in to play first and foremost, shifting your soundtrack to a more positive place.

When you pause to consider, it’s absurd that we feel as if we are not entitled to our own physical presence. That we believe we cannot use and adorn our very own bodies in certain ways or spaces or do the things bodies were created to do, because we’re told, and in turn tell ourselves, we’re not good enough.

You are good enough.

Embrace your body.

Find your beach.

Maybe check E-coli levels.

Always wear sunscreen.

Beach body.

Done.