How to Beat Body Image Issues
The ocean is ever-changing. One day it is calm and gentle and the next it greets you with 8-foot waves only a surfer can love. Emotions can be like that, too. And because emotions and your surroundings strongly affect your body image, if your mind experiences consistent degrading or negative messages, then you could be in danger of being dragged out to sea by the undercurrent and developing body image issues.
You are not alone.
One study showed that 78% of girls are “unhappy with their bodies” by age seventeen.(1) This is why it is critical to face this phenomena head on and focus on ways to become stronger swimmers. Let’s beat the current as it tries to wash away our teenagers’ happiness.
What are body image issues?
Body image issues have to do with being dissatisfied with your body. It goes beyond wearing heels because you wish you were taller or straightening your hair for a new style. It has to do with thinking negatively about your body as your core opinion of yourself.
Body image issues involve:
Preoccupation with weight and shape.
How you see yourself - not necessarily how you really look.
How you feel about your body - good or bad.
Taking drastic measures to change how you look.
According to the National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC), body dissatisfaction and overvaluing body image can put you at risk for eating disorders.(2) Instead of enjoying healthy meals and feeling positive about their appearance, many teenagers and young people today starve themselves to achieve what they perceive as a more ideal body.
Eating disorders like anorexia, bulemia, and binge eating are dangerous and can have life-long consequences. So beating body image issues is not only something to strive for to be healthy and happy today, but for developing good habits for a lifetime.
Depression can also result from negative body image issues.(3) It is hard to feel satisfied with life when you are dissatisfied with how you feel about your body.
Where do body image issues originate? The causes can be complex, but usually involve a mix of internal thoughts and external influences. Studies show social media heavily affects body image, and when people limit their exposure to it, they have been found to have happier outlooks. One study showed that when young women cut their social media use by 50%, they felt a significant improvement about their overall appearance.(4)
Another study looked at women and the role of the media in body image concerns. It suggested a link between body image disturbance and mass media depicting the ideal body.(5)
The external influences of social media and mass media are pervasive in our world. It is hard to swim against their tidal wave affect on our minds, but we have to try.
How do you overcome body image issues?
Unfortunately, body image issues are not new. People have struggled with how they perceive themselves for just about forever. It wasn’t as rampant before social media became an everyday part of society.
But there is hope.
Because some of the external influences have been identified, you can make a conscious choice to limit your time on social media, or other forms of media.
Instead, turn toward methods that help overcome body image issues and the problems they create.
Seeking medical treatment for eating disorders and depression should be first on the list. For issues that are not as severe, other options include:
Listening to music that promotes positive body images - studies show that music can help you feel better about your body.(6)
Exercising - combining movement and body image positivity, you can overcome body image issues. Groups like the Yoga and Body Image Coalition is doing just that!(7)
Mindfulness or meditation when you are focusing on the moment, away from social media, and can center your mind on what is important, including accepting your body for the wonderful gift it is!
Coaching - working with a trained professional who guides you through the turbulent waves of dissatisfaction and gets you back on peaceful water.
You don’t have to implement all of these options at once. Pick one that appeals to you most and start there. Then work through the others until you have beat the body image issues and live happy, healthy, and confident!
To learn more about life coaching and how it can transform your life, visit my website at www.stephaniemariescoaching.com today!
Body Image Quotes
“Since I don’t look like every other girl, it takes a while to be okay with that. To be different. But different is good.” - Serena Williams
"I definitely have body issues, but everybody does. When you come to the realization that everybody does—even the people that I consider flawless—then you can start to live with the way you are."-Taylor Swift
“Don’t waste so much time thinking about how much you weigh. There is no more mind-numbing, boring, idiotic, self-destructive diversion from the fun of living.” -Meryl Streep
“To love yourself as you are is a miracle, and to seek yourself is to have found yourself, for now. And now is all we have, and love is who we are.” -Anne Lamott
“How I feel about myself is more important than how I look. Feeling confident, being comfortable in your skin—that’s what really makes you beautiful.” - Bobbi Brown
Check out these and more positive body image quotes here!
References