5 Steps to Better Body Image
How to start treating yourself with kindness!
You are beautiful, just as you are!
Poor body image is an issue that most of us, if not all women encounter at some point in their life. That being said, however normalised negative body image seems to be, we don't have to accept it. We can make it better! No, not our bodies. They’re just fine.
Instead, we should work on improving self-esteem, mental wellbeing, and our perception of our bodies... Let's be honest, life is too short to spend it feeling inadequate!
1. Positive Self Talk
Whether it's that one body part you hate or that you keep checking yourself in the mirror and telling yourself it's not good enough. Stop it! Negative self-talk will continue if you keep reinforcing it every day. Try to practice positive self-talk.
- Stop wasting time trying to find flaws in yourself.
- For every negative thought, replace it with a positive thought about your body.
- Keep a gratitude journal to and for yourself. "Thank you me for smashing that workout".
2. Good Vibes Only!
You are what you surround yourself with, so surround yourself with positivity and good vibes only. You deserve it.
- Find like minded people who want to engage in healthy activities and steer away from unhealthy, body centric conversation.
- If you don't feel comfortable with something someone says or does towards you or your body, let them know. You and your body deserve love and respect.
- Follow social media pages that align with how you want to feel and where you want to be mentally.
3. Challenge your Biases
Is it possible for women of all shapes and sizes to feel good about their bodies, or at least to view them positively? Yes? If so, what is different about your body? Challenge your biases about your own body, because in reality, you are the only one who has them.
Follow body positive social media pages of women you can identify with and watch them do some pretty amazing things. Identify what you are actually afraid of and challenge it. 'My partner doesn’t find me attractive’. Challenge with. ‘Plenty of women just like me are in blossoming relationships and my partner has never shown signs of finding me unattractive.’
4. Let Go of Body Ideals
Most likely, you have an idea of what healthy and attractive look like. Maybe this is blocking your ability to see your own health and beauty in your current body. This is where you need to be realistic. Is it better to hold out for happiness, health, or beautiful clothes until you reach your ideal body, or is it better to let it go?
Do not cling to body inspo photos from your teenage years, or when you had a lot more time or when you weren't 100% healthy. Is that really something you want to go back to now?
Make yourself comfortable in your current body and accept it for how it is. Wear clothes you feel good in, not what you should be fitting into, and eat to fuel the body you have, not the one you want.
5. Find your True Worth
There are so many other more interesting things about you than your body! It's in how you think, how you make people feel, what you do for others, and how you show up for yourself that determines your worth. The impact you make in this world has nothing to do with your body.
Together, you and your body should set non-aesthetic goals.‘Climbing a mountain, joining a class, smashing x amount of workouts per week?’
Make a list of all the people you love. Now write down all the reasons you love them. Are their bodies on the list? No? Your body is not on their list either.
Find power and accomplishment elsewhere in your life. It's hard to be down on yourself when you are slaying life!
Let's Sum It Up
While many of us ladies have body image issues, we do not have to give in to those nagging feelings of inadequacy. Instead, we can be proactive and show up for ourselves and our mental health. This can be done by practicing positive self-talk, surrounding yourself with good body positive vibes, challenging your body biases, letting go of body ideals, and finding your true worth. The path to loving yourself is such a worthwhile journey to take. We hope you enjoy it!
Want to hear more in depth discussion on topics of nutrition? Please listen to Amy's Eat Great Chats! Members can find this under 'Nutrition Chats' on DediKate!
