We’re terrified of sounding like our parents here, but wasn’t the world a better place a few years ago when walking past a mirror was a thing of beauty and not a moment for your gaze to be drawn to those “trouble spots” you loathe. Such is the way the world has gone. Your body is beautiful no matter what. The end. Yet all too many of us feel the need to suck in our bellies as we spot our reflections in a shop window, or physically lift the parts of us that sag naturally, or curse the high heavens for looking the way we do. It is a horrendous mindset to be locked in, yet it is a ritual that is becoming more and more popular.
How has this happened? Simple. Since the moment we hit puberty we have been encouraged to have low self-esteem and embrace a negative body image. Photoshopped magazine covers, genetically blessed Victoria Secret’s Models, Instagram pictures with 101 different filters used to distort the reality.
But this mindset doesn’t have to be permanent. Here are some top tips on how to fall in love with the body you have, no exceptions.
Compliment Your Best Bits
The next time you walk past a mirror and focus on the “imperfections”, stop and redirect your eyes towards the bits you love. Hold that gaze for a moment or two. Then, before you crack on with the rest of your day, compliment these parts. Say something nice about them, out loud. You’ll be amazed at how much your spirits get lifted.
You Are Not A Mismatch Of Parts
That is one of the most common misconceptions at the moment. We look at ourselves in the mirror and start thinking about which parts we wish we could change. But you aren’t just parts. You are a person, a whole person, and that is how you should take yourself in. You are not a nice pair of lips with fat thighs. You are a gorgeous, whole person.
You Have The Chance To Change
Bad habits, good habits and proactive changes. Each of these is a choice. It is up to you to make the right one. That could mean replacing fizzy drinks with homemade smoothies, or realising that liposuction is misrepresented and, in fact, means resculpting, or it could mean swapping your Netflix subscription for one to the gym. Life is all about the decisions you make.
Touch Yourself More Often
If you want to take it to that place you’re thinking, then do. But it doesn’t have to mean that. Just think about how amazing you feel when a hairdresser massages your head when you go to the spa for a facial or just get a cuddle from someone. All of these involve touch, which is a super-powerful tool that boosts positivity. So, next time you have a shower, really massage your scalp and rub your moisturizing cream in nice and gently. You’ll be amazed at how you feel afterwards.
Feeling great in your own skin is not going to happen overnight. It will take time. But your patience will pay off.
