Is there anything about your physical appearance that you don’t like? It’s nothing to be ashamed of because we all get to a point where we wish some features could just disappear or be refashioned. You’re not alone in this. However, learning how to love your body is one of the best things you can ever do for yourself.
Are you worried about your height? Or maybe your facial features? Do you think your weight is becoming overbearing? Are you bothered about saggy boobs and stretch marks? Do you feel you’re not attractive because you don’t have an hourglass or perfect figure? Yes, we always tend to have one thing we fret over. Regardless, note that knowing how to love your body will not only boost your self-confidence and self-esteem but will also help you appreciate the uniqueness of others and understand the complexities in our differences.
What You Can Change
There’s a lot about your features that you can change. One reason they can be changed is that your lifestyle probably has a direct impact on them. For instance, you can change your belly from being protruded to being flat and healthy-looking, and you can most likely achieve this by maintaining healthy eating habits and exercising more frequently. So, instead of complaining about your big belly, you can change that narrative by inculcating the right habits.
SEE ALSO: 5 Terrible Habits That Black Women Have to Quit Right Now.
In this same light, you can also work on your weight if you feel you’re generating unhealthy fats. If your weight is making you lose your confidence and self-esteem – don’t fret! You just have to deliberately cut back on a lot of habits and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It’s about adjusting to what will give you positive and desired results.
You don’t like your chapped-looking lips? Then improve them by drinking a lot of water, using products like Vaseline, and experimenting with other moisturizing lip products. There’s a lot you can change if your habits or lifestyle are contributing to undesired results.
What You Cannot Change
It’s true that there’s a lot we can change, but there’s also a lot we cannot change because they are beyond our power. For instance, you cannot change your race, your height, your eyes, your breast shape, and your toes. Although advancements have made almost everything possible, we still cannot rule out the fact that there is still a lot about us we can likely not change.
To love your body is to come to terms with the fact that there are some things you simply cannot change. Rather, you can only embrace them and be proud of them..
Ways to Love Your Body More
1. Kill Self-Criticism
It’s normal to want to gush about how imperfect you are or how the person staring back at you in the mirror is nowhere near the dream-you. It’s also normal for humans to hit on themselves or review their physical weaknesses, but how well can you keep up with that? You must kill that inner critic telling you how big your boobs are, how ugly you look, and the areas where you don’t seem to measure up.
2. Redefine Your Standards for Beauty
One of the greatest ways to learn to love your body more is to review and redefine the standards you’ve set for yourself. What does beauty mean to you? You must find out where you’re getting it wrong and deal with the root cause. Is beauty to you an hourglass figure, a nice set of gap teeth, face symmetry, skin color, or hair type? Defining and setting the standards of beauty based on physical appearances alone is enough to drain you mentally.
You must tell yourself that beauty is not entirely defined by your looks but by who you are. This strategy has a way of improving self-love and body image.
3. Be Mindful of Triggers
Certain things can trigger you into hating your body more. These triggers can include social media, your circle, and even your environment. At this point, you must engage in trigger filtration and balance your thoughts as well as actions. If you have to stay off social media for a while while rebuilding your body image, then go ahead. Following celebrities back-to-back and imagining having their perfect bodies is one way we unknowingly begin to hate on ourselves. If you have to, reduce social media engagement, especially with personalities that trigger a feeling of self-hate for whatever reason.
Quite sadly, certain kinds of people in our lives have a way of making us not love our bodies the way we should. It could be having a boyfriend who keeps reminding you about your weight and how much you’ve deteriorated, or it could be a friend who continues to flaunt her looks and how much you must ‘match up’ to class. Without a second thought, be willing to let these people go if you have to.
4. Dress in a Way You’re Comfortable With
Sometimes, the way we dress is to be blamed for the negative feelings that follow. Learning how to dress in a way that accentuates our best features is a way to appreciate and value the beauty in us. Fortunately, you don’t have to break the bank to have a look that best highlights your best features.
Aside from amplifying your most attractive features, also endeavor to dress in a way that you’re comfortable with. At all costs, do not lose your comfort for fashion – wear dresses that you feel good in and don’t think twice about ditching clothes that make you feel less confident in yourself or your body. What’s more? You can look sophisticated on a budget and thus improve your body image.
5. Refocus Your Energy
Rather than focus your energy on the negative, think about the many things about you that are worth celebrating. Think about the things you should be grateful for and your strengths that make you unique. Doing this will help you re-channel your energy and shift your thoughts away from the imperfections ravaging your mind.
Engage in self-care routines that make you feel good about yourself. Whether it’s meditation, journaling, exercising, or pampering yourself with a spa day, dedicating time to self-care can significantly improve your self-perception.
You must train your brain to filter what becomes a worry, especially if it has to do with your body image. Self-love is a journey, and the more you practice embracing yourself, the more confident and fulfilled you will feel.
