Today’s society is not always a very pleasant or helpful one, and one of the issues is that some idealized versions of beauty dominate the media (and social media), which means that it can be hard to find complete satisfaction with your own body and be happy with how you look.
The good news, however, is that achieving a positive body image isn’t just possible but essential for your overall wellbeing, so it’s something you should definitely work on, no matter how hard it might seem. With that in mind, keep reading to find out more about what you can do to be happy with your body.
Practice Self-Love And Self-Acceptance
One of the key elements of being happy with your body comes from practicing self-love and self-acceptance, which essentially means embracing every part of yourself, including any flaws you might think you have, because that’s what makes you you – you’re unique and special.
Of course, self-love isn’t always easy, especially when you look on social media and see some truly unrealistic beauty standards you might think you have to reach, but you can do it—it’s a matter of changing your perspective and appreciating yourself for who you are rather than what you look like. Although it might take some time and practice, it’s worth it when you get it right.
Focus On Health, Not Appearance
So you might think you want to look a certain way and spend all your time trying to achieve that look, but what if the best way to do it was not to think about your appearance, but to consider your health instead?
If you exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water, sleep enough, and reduce your stress levels as much as possible, you will feel better inside and look great outside, so it’s a win-win!
If you’re struggling with your health, such as an addiction, then looking out for a rehab center near me might be a good step in the right direction to helping with your health internally and your mind in particular.
Actually, Change
For some, it might be a good idea to think about cosmetic enhancements, ranging from simple lip fillers to more complex procedures that can transform your breast shape. This idea won’t be for everyone, and you need to think about it carefully before you commit to it, but it could be a big step in your journey toward body acceptance.
It’s important to approach cosmetic enhancements with realistic expectations and a complete and thorough understanding of all the risks and benefits involved. The great thing about these procedures is that they can address specific concerns you might have and boost your confidence, but that’s only if the issue is a physical one – if there’s more going on, then it’s a good idea to get professional help before cosmetic surgery (we’ll look at that next).
If you aren’t quite ready for something as major as cosmetic surgery then you might have something minor that you want to adjust. If you don’t like your smile and want to change this then an orthodontist can give you exactly what you need.
Get Professional Help If Needed
If having a negative body image is something that massively impacts your mental health and quality of life, don’t hesitate to get professional medical help and support from a qualified mental health professional – it could make all the difference. At the very least, talking about how you feel is good, as you’ll be much less stressed afterwards.
Therapists and counsellors can give you all kinds of useful mental health tools, strategies, and insights to help you work out what your body issues are and how to overcome them, and they’ll also help you to come up with a more positive relationship with your body so you’re entirely content. As we’ve said before, that can take some time, which is why you should continue to see your mental health professional for as long as they recommend to get the most out of your sessions and end up in a more positive place when it comes to body image.
Move How You Want To
Regular exercise and various physical activities are important because they keep you fit and healthy and boost your serotonin levels, giving you less stress and more happiness. As an extra benefit, they give you a body to be proud of, especially if you’re the one putting in the hard work and can see how far you’ve come since you started.
The problem is that a lot of people don’t like exercise (or rather, they think they don’t like exercise), so they don’t do it, and then they get depressed about their bodies when the answer is right there. So how about changing that and doing exercise, but making sure it’s an exercise you actually like? The gym and structured workouts won’t be for everyone, so how about trying a team sport, a brisk walk in the park, a dance class (or just going out dancing), yoga, hiking, or anything else that makes you happy and, as a bonus, gets your body moving and your heart pumping? There’s sure to be something out there you can enjoy.
Limit Exposure To Negative Media
As we’ve mentioned earlier, social media (and the media in general) is a big part of the problem when it comes to having a negative body image – their ideals of what people should look like can hardly ever match up to real-life, often due to clever editing, but it’s still hard to look at the photos and videos of these stunning people and not feel as though you’re lacking in some way.
So don’t look. Instead, unfollow social media accounts that promote unrealistic beauty standards or that give you any feelings of inadequacy, and rather than that, look for content that celebrates diversity, being yourself, and, crucially, body positivity. If you can surround yourself with positive influences (and positive influencers, come to that), you’ll feel so much better about yourself, and your own feelings of self-worth will become a lot stronger.
Be Kind To Yourself
Something that’s very important to remember when you’re looking for ways to be happy with your body is that you need to be kind to yourself – treat yourself in the same way you would someone else who was feeling the same way you do, and understand that it’s okay to have bad days and setbacks. Once you can do that, the rest becomes a lot easier.
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