I’ve heard it all before..probably said some of it when I was still discovering how kickass I truly am. You know where I’m going with this, right? “I wish my hair was curly”, “I wish my thighs didn’t jiggle”, “I wish I was more tanned”, “I wish I was taller”, “I wish my feet were smaller”, “I wish I didn’t have a mole on my face”, “I wish I was as muscular as him”… blah blah blah.
Well, it’s time to bust up the body image shenanigans and reclaim your self-esteem no matter where you are at in life and no matter what you look like right now. I had a long and secretive affair with body bashing. Now, I no longer allow media, peers, or anything else to influence my feelings of self-worth. I had to break up with body image bashing as it was serving no purpose at all in my life. To be honest, I love my body. I love my lips, eyes, thighs, my hair, and my ears. More importantly, I appreciate all that my body can do. I am grateful for my hearing, my vision, my taste buds, my limbs, my muscles, my feet (which rock sexy pumps), etc. Do you see where I am going with this? I no longer succumb to the societal pressure to not accept myself. I have switched gears and have ended my affair with self-defeating thoughts and feelings. I cannot express in words the utter relief I feel. Explore your mindset – body image is influenced by so many things and by so many people; usually people around us or in our per groups. Guess what? Sometimes we even let stranger’s opinions or comments lower our sense of confidence – not anymore!
I believe you have suffered long enough. How many times have you punished your body for not meeting an unrealistic expectation? Do you walk past the grocery store check-outs and glimpse at the magazines forgetting how fake and phoney the people on the covers appear to be after the many edits and tweaks? The media sends the message that even ‘famous celebrities’ aren’t good enough; they need to be photo shopped and airbrushed.
It is time to break up with self-sabotage. How can you live a healthy life if you’re buying into this type of mind-warping garbage? My self-talk used to rush me to the nearest store, and I’d wallow in a tub of ice cream vowing to never do it again because come Monday I was going on a diet and starting a new exercise regime. Ha!
Proudly, I ended my secret affair with body image bashing and took control of my health; essentially my life. It feels so liberating to love every inch of myself.
How will you bust up your current body image bashing habit and get down to business. Body image affects females and males alike no ifs, ands, or but’s about it! It’s time to stare at yourself in the mirror and appreciate all of the wonderful things your body allows you to do. If you truly cannot bear to do that; seek support. There are a variety of tips and techniques; only you will know what will empower you to move past this traditional, yet annoying habit.
Improving body image is hard work – it takes time, energy, and commitment. Check your self-talk and be mindful of what messages you are telling yourself (on a regular basis). Treat your body with respect – believe me, it will thank you. Monitor your words closely. Does your self-talk change when you’re alone, watching movies, shopping with peers, with your significant other? Evaluate and explore. Recognize that you are not the size of clothing that you wear (hint: all companies create clothing in different sizes to affect your self-esteem in one way or another).
Be cautious, I hear the buzz going around about this fat-burner and that new fad diet, this magic potion and that new wrap, this and that lotion which (rarely) works. We buy into these myths and magical cures for cellulite and fat-reduction because we desperately want to fit in. We desperately want to be accepted. Guess what?? No one will ever accept you until you accept yourself. You are far more than your outer shell. Stop the affair now – your wallet will thank you, too.
Bust up the words you use to describe your body – what are your most fabulous features? What sports or activities are you able to perform because of your fabulous body? You’re either busting up the bashing or you’re carrying on in the vicious and uncomfortable realm of self-destructive behaviour. You are not alone and you do not have to tackle the ending of this affair alone either.
You deserve to accept yourself and love yourself just the way you are. Focus on healthy living and start celebrating your beautiful body today.
There is nothing better than embracing your body (including what you perceive to be flaws).
Confidence and self-acceptance are far more attractive than negativity and rotten insecurities; which end up bringing out the worst in people. Make today the day you break up with body image bashing – your entire life will change.
