The internet, magazines, movies, posters are littered with images of the “perfect” face, body, skin, and weight. These false perceptions of beauty have caused many to look in the mirror with much shame and discomfort. They have adopted a negative body image that has affected their love for themselves and their self-esteem. Do you need to improve your body image? Here are a few tips to help you look at yourself with more love.
1. Embrace your flaws
Believe it or not, your imperfections are a part of what makes you different from the next person. Contrary to what the images of celebrities may make you believe, no one is perfect. Trying to look perfect would only leave you feeling less beautiful and unique from what you actually are. However, this does not mean you should not make or fix things about your body that make you uncomfortable. For example, if the sagging of your skin makes you more self-conscious, it is okay to consider getting a facelift. What matters is you are doing this to feel better about yourself and not because you are trying to live up to the presumed beauty image.
2. Take care of yourself
An excellent way of improving your body image is to take care of your body. Regular exercise keeps your body healthy and improves your mental wellbeing too. Also, be sure to eat a more nutritious diet- after all, you are what you eat. However, do not confuse taking care of yourself with body checking. When you are body checking, you find yourself compulsively counting the calories you consume or judging anytime you walk by a reflection of yourself. Spending time body checking throws negative light on your body and negatively impacts your mental health. To curb this, speak positive affirmations of yourself and adopt more positive self-talk whenever the urge arises.
3 Avoid going down a social media rabbit hole
There are so many benefits of using social media. Unfortunately, this does not take away its negative side. Your Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook feeds, etc., are filled with people looking perfect and living seemingly perfect lives. And you just want to be a part of it. This can put you in a spiral of thoughts and emotions. Therefore, try to regulate the content you allow on your social media platforms. If necessary, spend a limited amount of time there to avoid going down a rabbit hole of self-doubt, negative body imagery, and lowering your self-esteem. This may sound drastic but if you think you can not avoid going down the social media rabbit hole, have a social media cleanse to give you some time to recover from the negative feelings you have been exposed to.
Looking at your body in a positive light is essential. It helps you grow in love with who you are and appreciate every single aspect of your being. Use these tips to help you discover how beautiful you truly are.
What other tips do you have to help improve your body image? Let me know in the comments below!
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