Nova Scotian woman shares inspiring selfie to those critical of her body

[Hannah Battiste, 18, is seen in this image posted to her personal Facebook]

A Canadian woman’s silly selfie in response to body shaming has resulted in an outpouring of support for its inspirational message.

Hannah Battiste, 18, of the Eskasoni First Nation near Cape Breton, N.S., recently posted an image of herself to Facebook with an extra special message to her critics written on the underside of her chin.

“My reaction when someone judges me…” the caption on the photo reads.

Speaking to BuzzFeed, Battiste said she initially decided to post the picture for a laugh, but also for anyone who’s ever felt judged for their appearance.

“One day, I looked at myself and felt pretty — it’s like I was looking at myself for the first time,” she said.

Feeling confident in herself is something Battiste strives for after being both the victim of sexual assault and suffering from various mental health issues.

“I tried to kill myself and ended up in the hospital. I came home a changed person of course, but not in a way that people would think,” she said.

“I think no matter what you go through, there is always a sunny day, even when it’s raining.”

The selfie of Battiste has since been shared all across Facebook, and has also led to a flood of positive responses from commenters about her inspirational outlook.

“It’s amazing, it makes me feel so happy and tingly inside when I see how many people I inspire,” she said.