Do you ever find yourself wishing your legs were thinner? Or that your skin was clearer? If you’re anything like me, that’s probably a lot of the time.
The media is obsessed with telling us that there’s one way to look and our bodies should fit into a particular mold. This has a huge effect on our self-confidence and can really mess with the way we feel about ourselves. But we don’t have to let it control us!
Let’s get into what body image is, how it affects people, and what we can do to change the way we think about our bodies.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: regardless of what we look like, everyone feels self-conscious about their body sometimes. We often look in the mirror and point out our flaws. And when we do this too much, it makes us feel really horrible about ourselves. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
Let’s look at how we can beat the body image blues this summer by reprogramming our minds.
- Our bodies are amazing. They can do incredible things—like lift heavy weights, run marathons, and perform complex tasks. And they look pretty good too! But sometimes, it’s hard to feel proud of our bodies. We might start comparing ourselves to others, or focusing on what we think is wrong with ourselves rather than all the things that are right.
- Body image is how we see ourselves physically. It includes how we think about our bodies and how we feel in them—and if you’re not sure whether you have a positive or negative body image, there are some common signs of poor body image you can look for.
- When we have a negative body image, it doesn’t just affect us—it affects everyone around us too. It can make us less willing to try new things, get involved in social activities, and even go to work or school because we’re afraid of what other people will think of the way we look. This can affect our self-esteem and confidence and cause us to act in ways that don’t accurately reflect who we really are as people!
- Positive body image is possible! You don’t have to be stuck feeling bad about your body forever—there are steps you can take
I know it’s hard to feel satisfied with your body. And I totally get that you don’t want people to judge you based on how you look. But we don’t have to let what other people think control us!
It’s no secret that we live in a world of impossible beauty standards. From the movies we watch to the ads we see at the grocery store, there’s no escaping the pressure to look a certain way. And yet, there’s something deeper behind all those standards, and that’s body image.
Body image is what we think about our bodies when we look in the mirror. It impacts how we feel about ourselves, how we behave, and it can even impact our relationships with others. If we don’t have a good body image, these feelings can be seriously damaging.
Luckily, there are things you can do to change your body image by changing the way you think about yourself and your body. Instead of focusing on the things you might not like about your body, focus on what makes you unique and beautiful as a person—because it’s not just about looks.
Your body is amazing! Your body does incredible things for you every day—it allows you to do great things in life, so why shouldn’t you love it?
