Negative Body Image is a Common Struggle
It’s a fact: we all struggle with body image issues at some point. Studies have shown that over 70 percent of women report avoid certain activities because they’re not satisfied with how their body looks. 80 percent of girls aged 17 express uneasiness about their body image, and 13-year-olds even say they have a fear of gaining weight. Boys are not exempt either, with at least 23 percent being upset about being too thin or not muscular enough.
Change Your Thoughts
But you can do something about it! To start, think about those people in your life who have made the most impact. Most likely, their physical appearance didn’t play a role in their positive influence on you at all.
It’s also incredibly helpful to recognize those automatic negative thoughts that pop up about your body (“Am I too fat?” “Am I not muscular enough?”) and ask yourself if these thoughts are actually true. Maybe they’re not, and if they are, is there a way to change the situation? If you have trouble doing this, perhaps you want to talk to a friend or counselor.
Practise Gratitude
To really help boost your body image and self-confidence, practise gratitude every day. List out ten to twelve things you like about yourself and your body, and revisit this list frequently. Thus, you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror or the reflection of a shop window, and your eyes gravitate to those aspects of you that you are most critical about, force yourself to change your gaze to see the things you listed that you like.
By doing these things, you remind yourself how powerful and capable your body is, and can learn to be comfortable wearing what you want, when you want.
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