Women are under constant pressure to conform to an impossible beauty standard. This frequently causes low self-esteem, a poor body image and self-loathing. Negative body image can lead to eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and overeating and the stress associated with low self-esteem causes heart problems, anxiety, difficulty processing thoughts, insomnia and a variety of other health conditions. Although most women are aware that poor body image is a problem, many are unsure of how to combat the problem. Here are five simple things you can do to improve your body image and self-esteem:
Stop Reading Magazines
Magazines are paid for by advertisements, and advertisements function by making you feel like some area of your life is inadequate without a particular product. Women’s fashion and beauty magazines are especially notorious for displaying advertisements that make women feel fat and unattractive. Several studies have shown that women feel worse about themselves after reading magazines and that, the more magazines a woman reads, the worse she feels about herself. Ditch the magazines and read the information you want in a book or online.
Focus on Compliments
Women are frequently taught to self-efface by dismissing compliments. Conversely, they often fixate on insults, both real and perceived. Reverse this standard by keeping track of the compliments you get. Write them down and consult them when you’re feeling badly about yourself. Whenever you find yourself fixating on a perceived insult or slight, consult your list of compliments.
Record Television Shows
Much like magazine advertisements, the commercials in television shows are notorious for their ability to make women feel bad about themselves. Women see thousands of images of photoshopped, unreal women on television every year and end up feeling inadequate as a result. Record your favorite television shows and then fast forward through the commercials.
Function Not Form
The primary purpose of your body is to keep you alive. Rather than focusing on your body’s appearance, focus on its function. Next time you hate your thighs or your stomach, remind yourself of their strength or the ways they have served you throughout your life. Rather than diet to lose weight, eat and exercise to remain healthy. You only get one body and it deserve to be treated well, not abused because it does not meet an impossible, mythical standard.
Shopping
Spending endless hours in the mall or online can make you feel worse about yourself and cause you to excessively fixate on your physical appearance. But spend an hour shopping with a friend and you may just feel better about yourself. Friends see our good qualities much more readily than we do, and your friend can undermine some of your negative thoughts. Pick something truly beautiful, not something that you feel “hides” your flaws. Almost everyone tends to feel better when they’re wearing something lovely instead of trying to cover up their own perceived unloveliness.
Sources:
The Beauty Myth-Naomi Wolf
Can’t Buy My Love-Jean Kilbourne