Does this sound familiar?
“How could I have gained this weight back again?”
“I have to start following the XYZ diet to become as skinny as her"
And the rollercoaster begins... YoYo dieting+ harsh self-talk + self-sabotage + comparing ourselves to others = defeat.
How many of us look at ourselves in the mirror and judge our body? Don’t we do it every day? Look at our own body and compare ourselves to the “skinny” supermodels? More often than not, women often find themselves dealing with a negative body image. This can be because of peer pressure or what the society deems “beautiful”. In the struggle to meet societal notions of beauty or to look cool amongst friends, people often disregard their body and end up creating a self deprecating attitude, in the process.
What is Body Image?
Body image is the culmination of our emotional attitude and our perception of what we look like in the mirror. Your body image also depends on what you feel and believe about your appearance. It can be about the height, weight, and shape or even how you move.
Body image can be positive or negative and we know that the negative body image has been winning, given the present day scenario.
Did you know? Prolonged negative body image and disregard for the body can lead to various health conditions and disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder, depression and eating disorders etc.
How Does the Negative Body Image come about?
A negative body image often stems from what a person feels about their looks and the constant need to meet the expectations of what the society, family, friends and of course the media deem as the “new beauty norm”.
Comparing yourself with others, feeling embarrassed about your body, lack of self-confidence and self- respect and obsessive self-scrutiny in front of the mirror are other factors that bring on the negative body image.
The biggest culprits behind a negative body image today is the media! Social media, false advertisements, and the fashion industry have created the idea of the ‘perfect body’ which influence the minds of young boys and girls and they in turn, tend to set unrealistic targets for their body, not knowing that the ‘ideal body’ isn’t real.
What Is A Positive Body Image?
When you have a clear perception about yourself and your appearance, you readily accept the way you are and how others perceive you. This way, you garner a positive body image. A person with a positive body image feels good about themselves and is happy about his/her physical appearance. Confidence and self-appreciation are rules they live by.
You will find that someone who feels good about themselves often follows a healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet, and regular exercise routines.
How To Cultivate A Positive Body Image?
- Stop comparing yourself with others! When you start comparing yourself with supermodels or your friends, you tend to have unrealistic expectations from your body. Remember that each of us is different and unique in our own way and so is our body.
- Celebrate what your body can do. You can swim, dance, sing, paint and whatnot. Appreciate what your body is capable of doing. This inculcates an optimistic frame of mind that is crucial to your emotional and physical well-being.
- Look at yourself as a whole being and not just as a nose or a thigh. Your physique isn’t dependent only on your thigh or waistline, therefore, it is necessary that you look at yourself in the mirror as a whole person.
- Follow a healthy lifestyle. A positive body image does not mean that you do not lead a healthy life and look after yourself. Eat healthy food and feel good about what you eat. Try health supplements such as pure organic ashwagandha to keep your stress and anxiety in check and catch a good night’s sleep.
- Wear clothes you are comfortable in. Never try to fit into apparels that aren’t meant for your body type. Wearing ill-fitting clothes are never going to make you feel good about yourself. Wear clothes that make you feel comfortable while flattering your body. This helps you learn to love and respect your body while creating a positive body image.
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Exercise! Following a good exercise routine is a great way to become confident in your strength and physicality. It also helps beat depression and anxiety.
Don’t just exercise, give your body a healthy supplement such as pure bone broth protein powder too, in order to fill in the gaps in your nutrition while building stronger bones and maintaining adequate body weight. - Make a list of 10 things you like about your body and put it up where you can see it. Make sure you read it every day( Try reading out loud)! This affirms that you love your body and the positivity helps you grow out of your negative shell.
“Embrace and love your body; it is the most amazing gift you will ever own..”
About The Author
Warrior Strong Wellness
Warrior Strong Wellness provides innovative and high quality transformational supplements and raises awareness and funds to fight childhood cancer by giving a portion of our proceeds to childhood cancer research. In our weekly blogs, we share wisdom about wellness and living a Warrior Strong lifestyle.