10 Tips to build a better body image

Today, we are programmed and told to be who we are, physically, and mentally. While it is possible to choose your mental concepts, it becomes extremely difficult to face the world with a body type which is not socially accepted. A feeling of worthlessness overshadows the ability to completely accept one’s body. Are you feeling lonely in this vicious cycle of loneliness? You are not alone. Read more to know the ways in which you can build a positive body image.

  • Admit your anxieties

    Sit down and think about the way in which you view your body. Answer questions like: 'Do I like my body?', 'Am I trying to lose weight so that others would like me?' Once you have done that, decide if you feel good or not good about your body? If you do not, write four ways in which it has negatively affected your life. Admit to yourself that you do not like your body and read ahead as we walk with you through this building of positive body image.

  • Think about yourself

    Who are you? Are you simply a body or do you have emotional capacities as well? We all know that human beings have emotional and intellectual capacities. Know that you are a wonderful being with emotions and intellect. See yourself as a whole person and write down the ten ways in which you are mentally unique.

  • Start from the inside

    When you think about yourself, remember who you are as a mental being. We are so used to being judged and judging people through their appearances and to change this pattern of thinking requires great effort. So, from now on, whenever you look at people, consciously make the effort to think about who the person is, what they would have been doing that morning, and who they hang out with. This will help you to be more sympathetic towards their judgments and in the process, understand that their way of thinking is simply their limitation.

  • Build a feel-good kit

    When you feel low and lonely, make a box of all the things which make you feel better. Books, music, photography, and so on. This will help you to come to your happy place whenever you need to.

  • Communicate with yourself

    The key to helping yourself build a positive body image is to communicate with you. Write down how you feel about your body every day. Underline the places where you seemed to show disgust or self-pity. Do things which make you feel good about yourself. This can be any random act of kindness. Some people love spending time with animals, others dancing. Communicate with yourself through these things. The root cause of a negative body image is because we believe that 'I am my body.' You have to explore your mental capacities alongside by doing things that you like.

  • Stay away from shallow people

    No matter what they say, the point is that they are shallow. They might give wonderful reasons to get you to cut some flab here and there and provide you lure of sexual appeal to 'set you right.' However, remember that relationships are built on emotions and not bodies. So, stay away from people who judge others on the basis of their looks.

  • Quit comparing

    Remember that your body is unique. It is as if we are flowers. Each of us have our own shape, color and aroma. There is nothing exciting about all of us looking the same. We have evolved to be different from each other. So, enjoy being different. Don't get pulled into the trap of 'walk with the crowd' through peer pressure.

  • Be honest and transparent to people

    If you feel hurt by something a person says, be honest and let them know. A person with low self-esteem, an effect of negative body image chooses not to tell others how she/he feels because they think, 'Well, I am fat. I deserve it.' Stop thinking this way. Remember that no one has the right to see you simply as a physical object; learn to assert the truth to those who do. Tell them honestly how you feel.

  • Start loving yourself

    The key to loving yourself is to understand why others think the way they do. As we mentioned earlier, we are all conditioned by our backgrounds and grown up to believe that our body matters a lot. At no level is there any suggestion in pursuit of building a positive body image the physical well-being of the body is not important. However, what we are asserting is that your body is important for your survival, and for survival, it is enough for you to be fit (with suitable body mass index) with proper hygiene and sanitation. There is no need to pull down your weight radically. You simply have to sleep well (8 to 10 hours), eat well (a balanced diet), and drink lots of water (8 to 10 glasses per day). Once you understand this, you will know that all the other decorative needs for the body (good dressing, slim waist, firm thighs, and so on) are simply social constructs which have been imposed and have become highly imprinted on the minds of other people. Thus, you will be sympathetic towards them with the patience to make them understand this as well as to love your body at the same time.

  • What do you think?

    Remember to think about existence. We become so entangled with our own lives that we forget to think about the world. Think about the beauty in the world. The mountains, butterflies, cocoons, and birds. Remember that we are on a small planet in an ever-expanding universe and once we realize that we are simply specks, we will know how it is that each of our lives are intertwined with those of others. In this web, it will be possible to understand others and accept oneself just the way one is!

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