What is one thing that grown women, teenagers, and even some of the world’s biggest celebrities have in common? They are all critical of their bodies. Thanks to the media, the public is given a distorted view of what normal bodies look like, causing the average person to look at themselves and their figures with disappointment. It’s easy to forget that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and everyone is strong, beautiful and special in their own way.
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To help you stop hating your body, here are some tips to get you well on your way to self love.
1. Forget The Media
First thing’s first — forget everything that you’ve ever seen in magazines, on television or on the internet. We are constantly bombarded with images of super-slim models, celebrities and fitness bloggers, all of whom don’t look like the average person and give us an unrealistic portrayal of what people actually look like. Refusing to focus on these perfect, airbrushed images will help you see the great qualities in your body, rather than someone else’s.
2. Focus On The Good
Once you’ve eliminated harmful distractions, it’s time to focus on what’s great about you. You might not like your arms, but you probably have a great smile, or awesome thighs, or gorgeous freckles; whatever it is, remind yourself of your favourite features, and soon you’ll learn that the ones that you once thought weren’t so perfect are actually pretty darn great, too.
3. Cultivate A Positive Environment
If you have people around you who are constantly criticizing you, making fun of you or putting you down, it’s to find a new circle. Surround yourself with loving people who appreciate and admire you for who you are, flaws and all. When you are having a bad day, positive people will boost your confidence and make you feel better about yourself. Don’t allow toxic, negative people to ruin your self-esteem.
4. Take Care Of Yourself
Your body is your temple, so take good care of it and you’ll feel like a million bucks. Get your sweat on, exercises regularly and do workout classes you enjoy a few times a week. Focus on eating healthy, balanced meals, and every so often, treat yourself to a trip to the salon or a pedicure — whatever makes you feel beautiful. Put aside a bit of money every few months to buy a new outfit that makes you feel confident. It’s the little things that quickly add up.
5. Think Positive
Another simple way to get you back to loving your body is to practice making daily affirmations to yourself. When you wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and instead of putting yourself down, give yourself a compliment. Remind yourself that you are strong, beautiful and well-loved. It may seem silly, but trust us; this simple exercise can subconsciously change your attitude for the rest of the day, without you even realizing it.
6. Stop Comparing Yourself To Others
Let’s face it: there’s always going to be someone out there who we feel is prettier, smarter, skinnier, etc. Instead of comparing, let’s embrace each other’s own strengths and special qualities. The only person we can compare ourselves to is ourselves and who we were yesterday. Remembering how far you’ve come — rather than comparing yourself to others —can offer an incredible boost of self-confidence. Let go of being perfect, and work on being proud of your perfectly imperfect self.
7. Don’t Dwell On The Negativity
We’re all going to have our days where we feel fat or ugly or stupid, and this is perfectly OK. The key is to not allow these negative thoughts to take over our whole day, or to shape how we feel about ourselves overall. Remember, confidence doesn’t come from how you look on the outside; it comes from within. Instead of being your own worst critic, be your biggest fan. And when you’re having a particularly low day, focus on these tips and remember to be gentle and kind to yourself.