Having body image issues can isolate you from your loved ones, negatively affect your emotional and mental health. Here’s how you can maintain a positive body attitude living in the modern world. So read on: How can I increase my body confidence.
How Can I Increase My Body Confidence?
Some time or the other during their lifetime, most people feel a little unsure about their bodies. Some might think that they are too bulky, while some may not like how their physique is not very muscular. Some wish that they had more defined curves, and others still are googling options to bring down their bra size surgically.
Having poor body image is something that people of all genders and all ages can suffer from. However, the number of young women that suffer from this problem is far greater than the men who are unsatisfied by how their body looks.
In fact, a survey conducted in the United States says that as much as 91% of women are unhappy with their bodies. And out of these, a good chunk is willing to consider getting some sort of plastic surgery to address these issues.
Why Is Body Confidence So Important?
But, cosmetic surgery is not all that evil, right? If it helps people feel better about themselves, then there is really no harm done!
Sure, cosmetic surgery may help you love yourself more, but the truth is that this industry preys on people’s insecurities about themselves. And there is really a lot of harm done when someone keeps amplifying this inhibition about your appearance.
While a specific issue about your body may seem small today, these insecurities can soon build up and have a snowball effect. Slowly, body image issues can take over your entire life and drive you into developing anxiety disorders and depression. You start to avoid going out and shrink into a corpse of who you were before.
What Can You Do To Increase Your Confidence Level About Your Own Body?
So, how can you prevent all of this from happening? How can you keep a body positive attitude while living in the modern world? Here are some things #IChoose to do it whenever I am feeling a bit unsure about my beautiful body. Hopefully, these 8 tips can help you increase your body confidence as well!
Thank Your Body For All That It Does For You
In my teenage and early twenties, I was severely dissatisfied by how I looked. I was always investing in one product or the other that would make drastic changes in my appearance. From drinking green tea morning and night to only consuming a liquid diet all day – I had done it all. And that is when I first realized how detrimental this was for my entire self.
One thing that greatly helped me get over these issues was showing gratitude to my own body, and this is a practice that #IChoose to follow today! Ever since my twenties, I have made it a habit to thank my body for all it does for me. I thank my legs for allowing me to run through fields. I thank my bum for giving me a comfortable seat.
And I thank my slightly crooked teeth for helping me bite into all my favourite foods. In this way, I steer the conversation from what I see as negative in my body to everything that is positive.
Unlearn The Toxic Bullshit That You Have Been Fed All Your Life
Remember how we talked about how young girls are so much more prone to developing body image issues? A big reason for this is that these girls have been told that a beautiful body looks a certain way ever since they first began to understand things! All our lives, toxic bullshit about how we should look has been shoved down our throats. What else would you expect in these girls if not dissatisfaction about their own appearances?!
If you really want to build up your body confidence, you will have to unlearn all of these false ideas that you have been fed since early childhood. These deep-rooted beliefs about one type of ‘perfect body’ can never coexist with a healthy body image. Like what your reading, here are some more TIPS
Take A Break From Social Media
While unlearning these irrational theories you have been fed in your childhood, you also need to block the impossible beauty standards that persist even today. Social media, especially Instagram, is filled by ridiculous pictures of models and influencers calling out women to look like them. Not only are these images extremely harmful as they are, but they are also usually not even true!
Celebrities use manipulating poses and highly edited pictures to make you think that they look a certain way. When you are constantly looking at these images, your mind is subconsciously editing the definition of beauty for you. Eventually, you start wishing that you looked like one of these models online.
If this is what you are feeling, considering taking a break from social media might be a good idea. And if that seems too drastic, maybe just unfollow these models and influencers and like some body positive accounts instead! Trust me; this little thing can make a significant difference concerning how you think about your body.
Change Up Your Wardrobe
Okay, so you really do not like a particular feature of yourself. What can you do other than changing it surgically? Something that is much less drastic and a lot safer? Well, #IChoose playing with my wardrobe.
Including some exciting pieces in your wardrobe could significantly boost your confidence. These items could either highlight the feature that you have been feeling anxious about or redirect the viewer’s attention to another feature that you might like to show off. Whichever approach you take, they can equally help you get over your anxieties.
Do Not Hoard All The Positivity For Your Own Self
One foolproof way that I often use to boost my morale instantly is practicing positive affirmations. Whenever I think I could be prettier if I were just a little bit thinner, I remind myself that I am already beautiful. I often spend my mornings in front of the bathroom mirror, telling myself that I am enough.
Though this practice is great for your body confidence, you could make it even better! Instead of just saying all of these nice things to only yourself, you could begin saying the same things to people around you as well! Spreading body positivity will not only make the other person’s day, but it will also create a safe and loving atmosphere for everybody.
Call People Out Over Blatant Disrespect
Do you have friends that are constantly telling you what is “wrong” with your body? If yes, then know that this behaviour is not okay. Making someone feel bad about things they probably already are self-conscious about is not what friends do!
If this is something you struggle with, it’s time to call these people out for blatantly disrespecting you. Tell them that this is not how you wish to be treated, and they should change this behaviour right away. And in case that does not solve your problem, then maybe you are better off without these ‘friends’ anyway.
Engage Yourself In More Productive And Fulfilling Activities
What are the things that can instantly cheer you up? Do you like to take long walks on the beach, or travel, or sit in a library reading books for hours? Whatever these are, you need to start doing more of these!
Though it may seem unrelated, trust me – it all connects together. When you engage yourself in productive and fulfilling activities, you tell yourself that you are much more than your physical form. This, in turn, leads to a significant boost in your body confidence.
Always Prioritize Your Health
Changing your appearance is not always a bad thing. If you want to shed or gain a few pounds, this does not have to mean that what you are doing is not okay. In fact, doing so could even be amazing – as long as you are prioritizing your health.
What I am trying to say here is that sure, starving yourself to appear thinner is bad. But as long as you are trying to lose weight in a healthy way, that is perfectly fine. Getting rid of a few extra pounds can significantly improve your quality of life. Just make sure that you are not engaging in ridiculous diets and exercises that put your well being at risk!
Body Wrap Up
Are any of these things that you practice to keep your morale high in the face of your own body image issues? If not, I suggest that you make these a habit right away! Remember, it’s not how my body looks, but how #IChoose to look at it.
