Every day men as well as women are presented with an ideal image that is so extremely complicated to achieve and maintain. This can severely damage your self-esteem if you feel you do not add up. Self-esteem is all about how much a person values themselves as an individual, how they view their body, and the importance they base on themselves. This is particularly important because when you feel good about yourself others can see it; the same is true when you don’t.
Learning to love what you see can be a very problematical task for anyone, but may be more difficult for some. Family members and friends may have an influence on your self-esteem as some people are known to criticize a great deal more than they offer praise. A positive body image allows you to grow and develop in other parts of your life and further improve your confidence and self-esteem.
Tips for Improving Your Body Image
Many people believe that in order to feel good about themselves they must first change their appearance by losing weight, or piling on the makeup. But the truth is you don’t have to change your outward appearance to feel good about yourself you simply have to change the way you view your body and how you analyze yourself.
You must realize there are things you can change about yourself and things that you cannot change. For example, you can change your negative attitude into a positive one, but you can’t change how tall you are. Figure out a few realistic things you would like to change about yourself, and set goals. Track your progress in a journal until you reach your goal, and then enjoy marking it off your list. Setting and reaching goals is a great way to boost your self-esteem.
Give yourself compliments everyday. Everyone likes to hear compliments from a stranger, but it feels even better when you can give yourself complements. When you hear yourself thinking negatively, force yourself to stop. Focus on all of the good things you do throughout the day, and acknowledge it when something brings you pleasure throughout the day. Recognizing the positive aspects of your life will help bring you happiness about yourself and the life you are living.
One last thing, take care of your body. When you invest the time to take care of your body by living a healthy lifestyle it will translate into a better body image and a boost in self-esteem. Try not to let your minor imperfections take over, show everyone the true you and show them everything you have to offer. Loving yourself is the first step.