When you look in the mirror, do you like what you see? Or are your first thoughts about dieting and how to rid yourself of that muffin top? Or how much you "hate" your nose, your hips, your breasts, the cellulite on the backs of your thighs? Stop and take a closer look!
If your body image is often a negative one, you're not alone. Women are under constant pressure to measure up to unrealistic social and cultural ideals of beauty. Advertising and the media bombard us with images of mostly youthful, ultra-thin women with perfect skin, hair, and teeth.
So it should come as no surprise then that by age 13, roughly 53 percent of American girls are unhappy with their bodies. That number increases to 78 percent once girls reach the age of 17.*
It's Time to Wise UpJust as we learn to develop a poor body image of ourselves, we can instead learn to cultivate a healthy love of our bodies. We can embrace our sizes, our shapes, our freckles, our foibles. We can learn to feel comfortable in our own skin. By adopting a realistic and positive perception of ourselves, we can live happier, healthier, more rewarding lives.
To improve your body confidence, start by tuning out the media messages that say all women must be model-thin and declare the natural aging process to be a ruinous fate. Instead, tune in to the wisdom of these five quotable insights.
"To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are." —Anonymous We are all unique. And because we're all different, there's absolutely no point in comparing yourself to other women. Give in to that inferiority mindset, and your body confidence becomes dependent on those around you instead of on yourself.
We all have a unique sense of beauty to own and cultivate. Squelch those insecurities the next time they flare up by reminding yourself of your uniqueness. Make a list of your best features, physical and otherwise. Then channel those negative energies into positively cultivating the things you love most about yourself. Accept, celebrate and support the unique person you are.
"A beautiful thing is never perfect." —Egyptian proverbPerfection is dull, if not impossible. Being happy with your body doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It simply means you've chosen to embrace your imperfections. It means the bump at the bridge of your nose is a beautiful, fabulous part of your being.
Often the things that hold the most beauty are our quirks, scars, and other little intrigues. Let them be, and learn to love and respect them.
"The groundwork of all happiness is health." —Leigh Hunt, poetThink of the last time you were home sick with a cold. You likely weren't obsessing over height or weight issues. You were probably cheering your body on to conquer that illness so that you could get back in the game of life.
Our health becomes so much more valuable than our appearance particularly in those times when we're in danger of losing it. In other words, our good health is much more important than how we look.
To truly love your body, focus on being active, healthy, and fit. Get out and move. Walk, swim, bike, dance, do yoga, aerobics, participate in any kind physical activity. Don't do it because you think you have to in order to look thinner. Do it because it makes you feel strong and energized and confident.
"Many people treat their bodies as if they were rented from Hertz—something they are using to get around in but nothing they genuinely care about understanding." —Chungliang Al Huang, authorYour body is an amazing machine. Stop for a moment and think of all the things it does for you, every second of every day. It keeps your lungs breathing, your heart pumping, your muscles flexing so you can pick up a glass, hold someone's hand, or walk into the next room. Every single cell in your body contains energy and life!
When you criticize the way your body looks, you dishonor all the amazing ways it performs for you each and every second.
Our bodies were designed to function, not to be canvasses for fashion and makeup. Stop thinking about your body as your hair color or facial features, and start thinking of your body as your heart, your liver, your bloodstream, your bones, your lifeline! Celebrate your body and all the incredible things it can do.
"There is no they. Only us." —Bumper stickerAs women we must also work to change the conversation on body image and beauty. It starts with recognizing how we ourselves talk about our own bodies and the bodies of others. Are you constantly talking about dieting and losing weight? Do you make negative or disapproving comments about how others look or what they wear?
Try this: Make a commitment to compliment other women more often on their ideas, accomplishments and personalities rather than on their appearances. Then work to teach every young girl that she is beautiful just the way she is. In the process, you'll boost your body confidence just by helping others boost theirs.
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