How often do you have negative thoughts about your body and the way that you look? Do you find yourself comparing your physical beauty to others and feeling dissatisfied?
Body image is the term that describes how a person perceives themselves and the associated thoughts and feelings that they have regarding that perception. It is something that many of us struggle with even as early as childhood. It is important to remember that body image and our idea of “beauty” are heavily influenced by the society that we live in and reinforced by the media. It is also important to remember that many times, this superficial idea of beauty is also simply ‘following the trend’. What is considered beautiful one year, can be considered the complete opposite by the next.
When I was growing up in the 90’s, I remember the beauty trend was to be thin. Thin models were glorified and consequently, eating disorders were rampant. Now, I would argue that that the trend is to have an hour-glass figure (for women), and in an effort for women to live up to these standards, there is a growing epidemic of cosmetic surgery.
If I am being completely honest and vulnerable, I have struggled hard with body image throughout my life (and continue to struggle even now). Growing up, I was self-conscious about being too short or too petite instead of developed and full like the women that were considered beautiful.
Confidence in body image can also be a wavering struggle. There was a point in my life where I was finally feeling confident about my body. However, after going through a rough break-up, I suddenly felt like I was lacking something, again. Maybe my face wasn’t symmetrical enough, my teeth white or straight enough, or maybe if I had an hourglass figure with a big bust, thin waist and big butt I could be loved.
After a lot of self-reflection and inner work, I can tell you that body image correlates directly with self-worth. As cliche as it sounds, when you start to love your body, you become happier. Personally, I feel the happiest with my body when I exercise and eat right. The number on the scale really does not make a difference to me, but when I work out, I feel good. The next step is to stop comparing myself to people who have the money, time and resources to get plastic surgery or spend 20 hours in the gym with a personal trainer. The last step is to remind myself as often as I need it, that I am already beautiful, just the way I am.
A Mantra I like to live by:
Happy = Pretty
With love,