Body Image
Being able to think a multitude of thoughts at one time makes you a great multi-tasker and an over-thinker. Especially when it comes to self-image. Sometimes it can feel like you are your own worst enemy. Your mind goes through doubt after doubt about yourself in a matter of a minute.
Do these jeans make me look fat? Why don’t I have her waist? If only I had her style! I wish I had her hair...What will others think of me?
All this overthinking is a vicious cycle of believing you must perfect yourself to have value. You look for things to fix like new clothes, the latest technology, or maybe just checking out and doom-scrolling. But you’ll still find those things will never remove insecurities and often make them worse. Becoming confident in your body starts with your mind.
Nothing anyone says about you, your body, or your appearance can ever change your value. You always have the opportunity to redefine how you think and feel about yourself.
If you constantly believe you aren’t enough, your imperfections will drive your thoughts, decisions, and mental energy. Struggling with body image is exhausting because it all happens in your mind! You are your own worst critic when it comes to your body and now is the time to start re-framing how you think about yourself.
Here are some tips:
Appreciate what your body can do. Write positive thoughts down to serve as a reminder to you when you feel like you aren’t enough.
What do you like about yourself that isn’t related to your weight or physical looks? You are more than a body.
Pay attention to things that might make you more critical of your body. For example, are there certain magazines, TikTok or Instagram accounts that always leave you feeling bad about yourself? Unfollow them!
Talk about it! You aren’t alone in the struggle. Opening up can be a path to support and encouragement.
Still, nagging or negative doubts and questions about yourself will come back from time to time. By choosing to re-frame how you think about yourself, you can throw those negative thoughts out as quickly as they come.
“Your body is part of who you are, but your body doesn’t define you. It was a life-changing moment for me when I recognized that. There’s so much more to me than how I look. It’s liberating to realize that what I see on Instagram doesn’t need to define who I am, what I should look like, or how I should act.
Deep down, we all know that there’s no such thing as a perfect person or a perfect life. Defining yourself by who you are and what you do, rather than how you look, is a brave choice to defy the deception of perfections that society tells us to buy into. It can be scary at first, but the world needs to know that real, imperfect women exist. Let’s dare to break the rules. We don’t need to add a filter to hide or mask our imperfections. We need to be ourselves, telling our own stories and thinking our own thoughts. We don’t have to follow the crowd. We can choose to surround ourselves with people who encourage and uplift us. We are bold enough to reject deceit and believe we are beautiful.”