What is the first thing that pops in to your mind when somebody would ask about the love towards your body as well body image? Would you say you are unhappy with what you see in the mirror? So, let me explain, getting comfortable in your own skin can be hard work, but sure is worth it. Why? Please pause for a minute and think,
- What do you see when you stare in the mirror?
- Do you like the way you look?
- Do you immediately notice flaws (like a nose you wish was smaller, a stomach you wish was flatter, legs you wish were longer or capable of running faster)?
- Etc.
The thoughts and feelings that you have about your physical appearance are the focus of body image research. And If you do not feel uniformly positive about your appearance, you should know that you’re not alone. (trust me, people try to hide it, but at the same time die inside).
Body image does affect our life (no doubt). And body image concerns are not merely superficial, but can affect many aspects of people’s lives. Of course, this also means that developing a positive body image can have positive consequences for both mental and physical health and wellbeing. Remember, there’s no pill one can take to banish body dissatisfaction. It might seem counterintuitive, but changing your appearance is unlikely to permanently transform your body image.
If you are experiencing some 'love-hate' relationship with your body and body image, please follow my steps, might help you change your mind and focus on positive.
1. Define your values and reflect on them
We all grew up in a world that values people’s appearances. If we were to totally ignore our appearance, never giving a thought to what we wear, we’d likely be viewed as eccentric or strange. We have a choice, however, in terms of how much to care and how much energy to spend on our appearance. We should try to live what we value. Living our values can mean embracing our own and other people’s bodies as they are. This might begin with appreciating that some people naturally have relatively small bodies, and some naturally have larger bodies; people’s body sizes are not necessarily a direct indication of their habits or health. In other words, we all have a natural body size that we’re likely to hover around when we’re adequately nourishing ourselves and engaging in a healthy amount of physical activity. Not everyone will be slender – even when they maintain healthy habits.
2. Reframe your goals for exercise and eating
The healthy habits that you maintain can affect your body image, but how you think about your habits is also very important. (for example, If you go for a run, but you think of it as obligatory or as punishment, you are unlikely to enjoy that run - fact). But if you think of running as something you do to help yourself feel good, improve your health and take care of yourself, you might actually enjoy running more and find it easier to sustain this behaviour), got that? Beside, your mindset will likely support your positive body image as opposed to detracting from it. Once you accept it it will no longer be 'a must' and you will instantly enjoy doing it. The key to success is to reframe your behaviours in ways that make healthy ones sustainable. Punishing or shaming is rarely an effective approach to health (especially to your mental or physical health) and can reinforce negative body image. Easing ourselves into healthy habits can be more effective for achieving enduring change. A gradual approach will make wonders. I suggest you start exercising with perhaps two days a week for about 20 minutes per day and then slowly work your way up to 40 minutes about five to six times per week. And also, most importantly to remember is not to worry if one day you run out of time to exercise or just don’t have a good workout. Days like this happen! (you are only a human, I do the same. Yees, busted ;)).
3. Focus on functionality
Our bodies are much more than a façade (yes right, not even filters over the photos will help!!). They serve vital functions that allow us to live our lives and experience our worlds. Focusing more on what a body does as opposed to just how it looks can be a useful step toward body positivity. Further, body functionality is a term used to describe the many physical functions of our bodies like breathing, sleeping, walking, singing, dancing, engaging with other people and anything else a body can do. Although many people feel dissatisfied with their bodies or even ‘at war with’ them, our bodies are not deliberately trying to hold us back from living our lives. I suggest you try concentrating on your own body functionality (and even making a list of the ways that your body serves you well. By referring back to your list later might boost your positive feelings about your body following any initial improvement.). Sure try out many different ways and see what helps you most. You can do it - you got this.
4. Practise your body gratitude
Do you ever look in the mirror and feel grateful instead of critical? What would happen if you started to focus on the parts of yourself that you enjoy? Researchers (and I certainly agree) suggests that expressing appreciation for our bodies can actually improve body image. Remember, when your critical inner voice starts to emerge, simply reply to it with I love my body. I know, I know, for many people, the critical inner voice can be fairly easily distracted. This might feel silly at first, but if you create a list of the parts of your body that you like it will become more natural to automatically quiet your inner critic. So spend some time thinking about and listing the physical features that you do genuinely like, and put this list to good use. You can also aim to get into a routine, such as expressing gratitude about your body every night when you brush your teeth. The key is to pair your gratitude exercise with another behaviour that you’re already in the habit of practising daily. This way, the habitual behaviour serves as a reminder to stick with the gratitude exercise.
I certainly do not believe any of us need to love our bodies every second of every day to be happy. However we do need to value and respect our bodies (as well be in love with the body image) to a certain extend. We should view the process of body image discovery as a journey and, above all, seek to take care of ourselves – body and mind. As much as we can. when I think about it, this quote always pops in to my head,
'Your body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in.'
Think about it.
Until next time, S.
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