Six Steps For Improving Your Body Image
I talk to countless friends, family, and clients - both male and female - who have something negative to say about their bodies. One way or another, we’re constantly finding ways we can improve, get better, look skinnier, shed some “mom/dad fat”, lose the “freshman 15” (which by the way is a bunch of bologna). We do all of this instead of celebrating our bodies!
You may know some people, however, that always seem to be body confident no matter what they look like. What’s their secret? Well, I’ll tell you! In this post, I’m sharing Six Steps for improving your body image TODAY!
1. Keep a top-10 list of things you like about yourself that AREN’T related to weight or physical appearance.
This means you can’t say, I love my eyes or my smile. While those are great things to love - your beauty, your smile, your skin, etc. - your body parts are not what define you. Giving body parts the power to define us sets us up for negative body image.
Here are some examples in case you’re stuck:
- I love my laugh
- I am a great sister, brother, daughter, son, niece, grandchild, etc.
- I am proud of the way that I encourage others and are present in their lives
- I love my ability to make new friends and meet new people
- I love my appreciation for nature and maintaining the beauty of our Earth
Don’t limit yourself to loving your body parts when the things that make you YOU are so much more than a collection of cells.
2. Surround Yourself with Positive People
It’s amazing what our community can do to influence our thoughts and actions. When you surround yourself with people who talk negatively about others or themselves, you often start to do the same. Take inventory of the people around you. Are they supporting your efforts towards positive body image?
3. Appreciate All That Your Body Can Do
While we don’t want our bodies to define our worth, we do want to recognize how important they are to our success every day. Literally, something as simple as opening a jar of pickles is something you can't do without your body!
That seems silly and irrelevant, but just take some time today to think about the seriously amazing things your body helps you accomplish.
4. Do Something Nice for Yourself - Something that Helps You Appreciate Your Body
Speaking of appreciation for our bodies, sometimes the things we do really push our bodies to extremes. The staying up for hours into the night because we have a big presentation, chasing after children all day, going hard in the gym - these all create stress and tension in our muscles.
Take a moment this week to do something for yourself that involves appreciating your body - maybe that’s yoga, getting your nails done, hair done, getting a massage, etc.
5. Take Inventory of Who You Are Following on Social Media
This is something that I often have to do in order to improve my body image. Comparing yourself to influencers on social media - who often heavily edit their images - is not a good habit to fall into. It often makes you think that there is one “ideal body” that you must have in order to feel beautiful or desired. Body image on social media is becoming talked about more frequently. But take inventory of who you’re following to make sure that their messages are improving body image and not contributing to body dysmorphia.
If you’re looking for someone AMAZING to follow, I suggest Victoria Garrick
6. Wear Clothes that are Comfortable and Make You Feel Good About Yourself
I had this discussion with a friend recently, but the clothes we wear can really impact how we see ourselves and how we feel about our bodies.
She was sharing that she’s been working really hard to lose weight - and she really did look amazing. But after taking some pictures in an outfit she didn’t feel amazing in, it really deflated her self-confidence.
You may have experienced the same thing before. I know I have. It seems silly to think about what you might look like in a picture before buying a clothing item, but I promise if you only buy clothes that you LOVE how you look in them, you will find so much more body confidence and self-love!
If you’re interested in learning more about my one-on-one program, apply here!!
