Research shows that women are far more likely to be dissatisfied with their appearance than men. We would all like to look in the mirror and love what we see. But for most of us, the reality is very different. There is a tendency to notice the things we don’t like about ourselves. Meanwhile, our positive features are overlooked. How can we learn to accept ourselves and feel happy in our skin?
1. Focus on the Positives
The first step to accepting your body is to take a long look at it. Take off your clothes and stand naked in front of a full-size mirror. What do you see? Like many women, you may focus in on the things you don’t like about yourself. Try to look past this. Try focusing on five positives. Forget the areas you don’t like and look at features you do like. Do you like your eyes or your hair? Have you got good abs? Next time you’re feeling down on yourself because you think your nose is too big, list all of the good things about yourself. We’re not suggesting that your opinions will magically change overnight. But over time, positive thinking can shift our perceptions
2. Fixes
When you look in the mirror, there may be genuine areas you need to work on. These could be for medical reasons such as losing or gaining a little weight. Be honest with yourself. Identify these areas and work out how you could improve them. Make a plan. We’re used to making plans for our careers; apply this same thinking to your body.
This could involve a change to your diet or exercise. Or you might need some professional advice. For example, if you have a dental issue such as missing or broken teeth. Contact a dentist such as http://amazingdentistry.com/services/dental-implants/ for advice and a solution. Once you have identified the problem and have taken steps to fix it, try to let it go.
3. Ignore the Media
You know those images you compare yourself to in glossy magazines? They’re not real. Those models have flaws like the rest of us. They have areas of their bodies that they hate. They have good lighting to enhance skin tone, and flaws are magically edited away. They are elongated, streamlined and smoothed out. So the image you have in your head for how you would like to look is not attainable. No matter how many diets you go on or how many crunches you do, you will never look like those pictures. The models being photographed don’t even look like those pictures.
4. Get Healthy
Focus on health, rather than aesthetics. Being fit and healthy gives us energy and it makes us feel good. Chances are if you’re in good health your body will look good too. Look for small steps you can take to a healthier lifestyle. Address your diet and exercise. And don’t forget your mental health. This has a huge impact on how we see ourselves.
Confidence is about acceptance. It is about being happy with who we are and our place in the world. We can still seek to improve, but we are happy while we work on this. So stop putting your life on hold. Do the things you want to do now and not when you’re ten pounds lighter. Practice being positive and focus on good health. Confidence and self-acceptance take time. The sooner you make a start, the sooner you’ll get there.
