The brutal side to bikini blogging: Instagram star Sjana Earp reveals her battles with self esteem issues and the pressures she faced because fans only 'see her as a body'
- Sjana Earp says she struggled to see herself as more than a body as a teen
- The Newcastle-based bikini blogger revealed she exercised to punish herself
- Now 22, she lives a holistic lifestyle and sees herself in a positive light
With an online following of 1.2 million and a bevy of bikini photos under her belt, it's almost impossible to imagine Instagram star Sjana Earp struggling with her self esteem.
But the 22-year-old claims it is only in the last few years that she has learned to love herself.
In an entry posted to her blog SMYLE recently, she recounted the unkind way she viewed and treated herself as a teenager.
Happy: Sjana Earp is often seen smiling by the sea, but confessed just four years ago she suffered crippling self esteem issues
More than a body: She told followers of her blog at times she felt like no more than a body, after years of placing heavy emphasis on her physical appearance
Sjana, who is known for her colourful travel snaps and confident bikini photos, described herself as 'insecure, self conscious and self critical'.
'I would exercise to punish myself, not to love myself,' she wrote.
'I was SO deeply concerned about what others thought of me, and based not only my self confidence but also my overall VALUE purely on my appearance.'
Watch your words: The 22-year-old said she had learned to speak more positively about her body, and encouraged others to do the same
The bubbly blonde revealed that at times, she felt like no more than a body.
Having placed such emphasis on her physical appearance, she said she was asking others to do the same.
'Ultimately, it just made me completely miserable, self critical and feel incredibly empty,' she wrote.
Since coming to accept herself and focus more on her inner self than her body, Sjana said her world is 'brighter and more colourful'.
Calm: The revelation came shortly after she told followers of her YouTube channel about her metabolic disorder, which pumps too much adrenaline through her body and left her with anxiety
The Australian beauty suggested her followers change their language in regards to how they speak about themselves, their bodies and even the way they exercise with their friends and themselves.
According to the yoga-enthusiast, removing talk of weight, dieting and shape can be beneficial to everyone.
Sjana says as friends often offer up their own imperfections as a way to comfort the person struggling, the conversation leaves everyone feeling bad about themselves.
Her admission comes soon after she revealed to her followers she suffers a metabolic disorder which pumps too much adrenaline through her system, leaving her constantly anxious.
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