One of life’s most important things is learning to love your body. It doesn’t matter if you are trying to lose weight, gain weight, or stay the same weight – the most important thing is to focus on your relationship with your physical self and have a positive body image.
A negative body image can lead to problems – from eating disorders and body dysmorphia to depression and anxiety. But it doesn’t have to be this way!
You can learn to love your body in any size or shape, and it is a process that takes time and effort but is more than worth it. Keep reading to learn seven tips for improving your body image.
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Why is body image important?
The way you think and feel about your body can have a significant impact on your life. Studies have shown that those with a positive body image are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors like exercising, eating nutritious foods, and seeking help for physical or mental health issues. A healthy body image means having more self-confidence and self-esteem, which can help you with work, school, and personal relationships. At the same time, having a poor body image can lead to negative and unhealthy behaviors like avoiding social situations, engaging in disordered eating patterns, and obsessing over your looks. So, learning to love your body and strive for a positive body image is incredibly important.
Eating Disorders and Body Image
Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that can have devastating effects on a person’s health, both physically and mentally. They are often accompanied by distorted views of body image, which can lead to unhealthy behaviors such as excessive dieting, excessive exercise, and self-harm. Eating disorders are complex illnesses, and there is no single cause. They often arise from a combination of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors. However, a negative body image is one of the most critical risk factors. People with eating disorders often have a distorted body image, seeing themselves as larger or heavier than they are. This can lead to dangerous behaviors like restricting food intake, over-exercising, and purging.
Eating disorders are often rooted in a person’s mental health; treating the underlying issue is essential to recovery. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please seek professional help.
What are some tips for improving your relationship with your physical self?
Here are some tips for improving your relationship with your physical self. It is important to remember that this is a process, and it will take time, but it is more than worth it.
Get to know your body
The first step is to become aware of and appreciate the functions of your body. Even though you may not love the way it looks right now, it is essential to recognize all the things that your body can do. Spend some time appreciating its capabilities and discovering new activities that encourage you to love and appreciate how it moves and how it feels.
Try to use movement for more functional reasons over physical reasons. We know that moving more eventually leads to weight loss, but when you shift your focus, you also gain body positivity. One study found that those who used exercise for improving fitness rather than looks felt more optimistic about their bodies.
Finally, recognize that everybody is different. Set realistic expectations for your body, and don’t compare yourself to others. The key is appreciating all that your body is because there are many body types. Highlight those things that make your body look its best. Get excited about finding your own style to celebrate yourself.
Talk kindly to yourself
How you talk to yourself can significantly impact how you feel about your body. Learn to recognize negative thought patterns and replace them with compassionate and encouraging language. Avoid commenting on physical attributes of your body, like my legs are big. Replace them with kinder descriptions like my legs are strong. Take time each day to think of at least one positive thing that you love about your body.
Fill your life with things that make you happy
Filling our lives with activities and people that bring us joy makes us feel good about ourselves and our bodies. Take time to focus on your hobbies and interests, no matter how small. Spend time with friends who make you feel good and uplift your spirits. And don’t forget to take care of yourself in other ways, like exercising and getting enough sleep.
Surround yourself with positive people
Surrounding yourself with positive people can be a great way to help improve your body image, and they can remind you to take care of yourself and be kind to yourself. And having a supportive group of friends and family can provide the emotional support you need to stay positive and empowered.
Refocus Yourself
Instead of constantly worrying about your appearance, redirect that energy into helping others. Sometimes it takes us to help someone who may have less than us to put things into perspective. The positive energy you give to others will radiate back to you, helping you feel better.
Be proud of your accomplishments
Focus on what your body can do rather than what it looks like. Celebrate your accomplishments and successes – no matter how small – and be proud of yourself. Remind yourself that it is ok to be proud of yourself and your body and that self-acceptance is more important than image.
Be grateful; there are more improvements to celebrate with your body that have nothing to do with the scale. Focus on those non-scale victories that help improve how you feel. For example, if you want to run a 5k and improve your race time, that is something to celebrate. You have improved your body to run faster towards a goal.
Pay attention to how social media affects you
It is easy to get caught up in the effects of social media, and it can amplify any body image issues you may have with its unrealistic expectations. It is important to look at how social media may trigger you and avoid those images. Remember that most of the time, people only show the good parts of themselves, and images may be manipulated. In addition, instead of commenting on people’s physical appearance, try commenting on how happy they look. Take the attention away from physical attributes.
It may be helpful to follow and look at accounts that focus on positive things that make you feel good or people you can identify with. When you filter out the negativity, it will improve your outlook. If you can’t go on social media without feeling bad, delete it altogether.
The Takeaway
Learning how to love your body and develop a positive relationship with your physical self is important. Even though it may be a challenge, it is worth it to take the time and effort to learn to love your body and appreciate all of its unique capabilities. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to body acceptance, but these tips can help you to start the journey.
