What If Nudity Could Make You Feel Better?

Why would you show your body to strangers? In this age of satellites, cameras, and smartphones, isn’t your body the only piece of privacy that’s still left in your life? Aren’t we supposed to cherish this? To keep the sight of it only to those who are precious to us?

If this is your line of thought, trust us, you are not alone. To many people who never tried naturism before, the thought of exposing themselves to whoever happens to be at the naturist campground fills their minds with doubt.

In the following paragraphs, we’ll explain to you how going naked might actually make your life better. Not just for the week or two when you’re having a vacation at L’eglantière, but possibly for a long time to come. Many naturists talk about their first naked experience as the first day of the rest of their lives. The day something changed. 

Out of your comfort zone

It starts at the very beginning: taking off your clothes and stepping into a world where everybody is naked. This is a complete contrast to what society looks like outside of the resort, where a certain amount of clothes isn’t just appreciated or expected, but mandatory. Obviously, this is a huge step out of your comfort zone, and doing this has a number of mental advantages.

Stepping out of your comfort zone is like unlocking a door to personal growth that influences various aspects of your life. While comfort zones offer security, they can also limit your potential. Embracing challenges outside your usual boundaries exposes you to new perspectives and opportunities, fostering self-awareness and revealing untapped strengths.

Remember that discomfort is only temporary. The first moments will be awkward, as you still need to adjust to this “new normal”. You will be totally in the moment, your mind will run on overdrive and you will have seen, smelled, heard and felt literally everything. In fact, some naturists say that they wish that they could do this moment all over again, just to repeat the experience. But what’s more important is that this step out of your comfort zone instils a mindset open to change, crucial for personal and professional growth. 

Boost your self-confidence

Very few people in the world feel 100% satisfied with how they look. For example, a common misunderstanding is that models are very self-confident, but the opposite is true. In reality, they’re often very insecure. This makes total sense when you think about it, how would you feel if someone took a photo of you and then spent two days digitally correcting your body to a form that is acceptable enough to appear in a magazine?

This is an extreme example, but most people struggle with insecurities. We all want this a little bit larger and that a little smaller. A bit of lifting here, some tightening there, it’s not a coincidence that plastic surgery is a booming business. This whole industry is based on insecurity and unhappiness. In naturism, it’s the other way around, naturism is based on feeling happy with how you look.

"How is that possible?” you may ask. Well, on one hand, you’re putting yourself in a very vulnerable position. This is you, there’s no hiding behind clothes. You will notice that you are respected for this because in naturism there is no judgement. This is because, on the other hand, everyone else is in the same vulnerable position. Others may see your flaws, and you will see everyone else’s. This creates a balance in which we all embrace imperfection. It doesn’t take long to realise that chasing perfection with clothes and surgery is like urging a donkey to move forward by hanging a carrot in front of it. The goal is not to make you happy but to make you want more. In naturism, the goal is to make you happy with who you are.

Increase social connection

Because naturist environments prioritize acceptance and open-mindedness, this often leads to stronger social bonds. The common ground of shared nudity has something to do with this, but more important is that artificial boundaries are being taken down. It is not about how you look but about who you are.

In the clothed world, we’re too easily distracted by the clothes people wear. We’re likely to treat someone in an suit differently than someone in a gardener’s attire. When the clothes come off, so do the prejudices. We learn to talk to the person rather than to the appearance. This works very well in a naturist setting, but once you get used to this, you’ll start looking further than the textile horizon in everyday life too. This will often result in a more interesting and less artificial social network.

Stress reduction

The idea of going naked among others might feel very stressful and we understand that the idea that this could actually reduce stress might be contradictory. We’re not going to lie to you, your first steps into naturism are likely to be a bit stressful. But once you become more comfortable naked, your stress will quickly fade away.

The natural setting in which most naturist resorts are located certainly is an important element for this. The natural setting in which most naturist centres are located has a lot to do with this. Here at L'Eglantière, you'll be surrounded by greenery: plains, woods, riverbanks, shady areas, sunny spots, trickling water,
birdsong. This is the nature in which naturism offers you precious moments of fulfilment.

Another reason why naturism works so well to reduce stress is because of everything mentioned above. You’ll be living more in the moment and won’t bother thinking about what has been on your mind lately. You’ll feel more confident and happy about yourself, and you’ll meet all these interesting people. The only thing that may still be a source of stress is knowing that in soon you’ll need to put your clothes back on to leave this place.