3 Inspiring Instagram Pages to Lift Up Your Spirits

By
Ben
-

Instagram is a great place to be inspired, but it’s also a dangerous rabbit hole, where you can land on pages that end up making you feel ugly, fat, and boring compared to the imagined lives of others. Chin up! We’ve compiled some of the most inspiring pages on Instagram that are here to remind you to take a breather and treat yourself (and others) with kindness.

Recipes For Self-Love

Amsterdam-based illustrator, Alison Rachel, encourages people to be happy and hopeful. Her illustrations focus on women, colored in light pastel colors and they feature a quote or saying that aims to promote kindness and well-being. Here are some thoughtful reminders.

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Life is often difficult and confusing, you’re not responsible for how you feel about the things that happen to you and around you. You can't control your feelings, all you can do is decide what do to with them when they arrive. Try not to run away from your feelings, or judge them harshly, even the ones that don't feel good. Try to remember that you are not your feelings and your feelings are not always reality. . . . #recipesforselflove #validation #beyourself #feelings #quotes #quotesdaily #beyourself #selflove #selfcare #loveyourself #smashthepatriarchy #quotesaboutlife #quotestoliveby #book #bookstagram #feminism #advocacy #instalove #feminsta #feminist #illustration #digital #drawing #perfect #design #graphic #art #instagood #love #yourself

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Female Collective

Candace Reel empowers other women through her Female Collective – a virtual community and philanthropic organization which has amassed over 430k followers on Instagram. Her page features a collection of feminist memes and mantras that will hopefully provide you with an online support system.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3lCuF7gAIL/

Alexandra Elle

Author and wellness consultant Alexandra Elle shares carefully written notes that aim at healing your mind and body. Based in Washington, DC, her inspiring messages have caught on with more than 580 thousand followers on Instagram. She’s also written several books on the subject of self-healing and teaches workshops and retreats centered around assisting others in finding their voices through storytelling, poetry, and narrative writing rooted in truth without shame.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B22OnkUAzBm/
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Notes on growth: Yesterday we had friends over for a visit. One of whom I’ve known since high school. We were laughing and reminiscing. My HS friend said: “Alex used to be SO MEAN in high school.” While the tone of our conversation was joking, he wasn’t lying. I replied: “Thank God for growth & finding joy.” . . The conversation made me think long and hard about who I used to be. Being mean was my defense mechanism—or so I thought…but really it was an excuse not be vulnerable. It protected me from the people who were awful & mean to me. It was a barrier that, at the time, felt safer than showing up. But in reality, I was crying out for help from sadness, trauma, rejection, and hopelessness. I did not yet have the tools in my emotional toolbox to help me along. So I hid behind anger. . . I was a miserable kid and teenager. And as a 30 year old woman, I often think about my younger self and the pain she walked through. I am constantly re-parenting myself and learning how to wrap love around the young girl I once hated. . . I’m sharing this to say: Change is real. Growth is real. Healing is possible. My past was practice and it was hard as hell to get to where I am today—standing in joy, in love, and in courage. I was exactly who I needed to be back then because there was a lesson in the mess. . . I had to learn how to be kind to myself before I could be kind to others. My heart sometimes still breaks for young Alex, but she taught me a lot. Like how to be a resilient person, a loving mother, and ultimately, a nice human. . . Community: how have you changed over the years? how are you loving your younger self these days?

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