I have never met a young adult who has said “I absolutely love my body, and wouldn’t change anything about it.”
That is depressing. We need our bodies. We need to take care of our bodies. And to do that, we have to love our bodies. As someone who has overcome disordered eating and terrible body image, here are my top three tips to attaining body confidence.
1.Treat your body well because you love it and care about it.
Hating your body leads to eating whole bags of chips or running hours on treadmills. Loving your body is completely different- fueling it with nutritious foods that make you feel good, and exercising because it’s good for you!
2. Remember your body’s purpose—to live a life.
Your body’s purpose is not to be beautiful. Our society is extremely screwed up and we’re constantly told that we aren’t good enough. For a lot of us that sinks in deeply. Makeup commercials point out things we didn’t even know could be “wrong” with our faces, and magazine photos contort bodies in ways that aren’t accurate to real life. No matter what anyone tells you about what “beauty” looks like, you are the only person who will ever have a life in your body. Treat yourself with compassion and respect, because you deserve a life that’s more than just about what you look like.
3. Recognize it is not selfish to put yourself first.
You have to be kind to yourself before you can give your fullest self to others. You need to treat yourself as someone worthy of love and respect. By loving yourself, you’ll be able to have better relationships with the people around you. You’ll also begin to learn more about your true goals and desires. Life is about a whole lot more than being attractive!!