Healthy Living

Body Dysmorphia: Tips To Help You Build a Positive Self-Esteem

It is natural to want to be healthy and fit. However, sometimes, when trying to reach those goals, your mind can play tricks on you. For instance, if you are not at your ideal weight or doing as many workouts as you would like, you can start doubting yourself and feeling embarrassed about how you look. This does not sound fun. So here are some of the top causes of body dysmorphia and tips that may help build up your self-esteem so that you can feel better in your skin.

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Make Exercising a Source of Energy Than Burning Calories

It’s essential to make exercise a source of energy rather than burning calories. Take it from one person who knows- no magic diet or weight loss pill will work for everyone. Exercise can be the thing you do to lose weight, but it should also serve as your way to control stress, anxiety, and depression. For some, feeling their heart rate increase, seeing the sweat on their brow, or getting a good workout is enough to make them feel empowered.

The most important thing with exercise isn’t how many calories you burn during your workouts but instead sticking to it and enjoying the process. 

Also, make healthy choices by eating nutritious foods and indulging in the occasional delicacies. You can learn healthy recipes such as the toffee recipe to help maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

Avoid Negative Comments on Your Physical Appearance

When you are looking at yourself in the mirror, criticize what you see with kindness and compassion. Look for one thing that is true about how you look or feel good about it. Acknowledge this trait as an asset rather than something to change.

Do not use negative self-talk. Instead, when you speak to yourself in your mind, be kind and respectful of who you are. Refuse the voice that says anything about how bad or ugly you look or what a failure you are as a person: do this by recognizing this voice for what it is–an old thought habit that no longer serves you well.

It is natural to compare yourself with others but do so in a healthy way. Make it an opportunity for self-compassion instead of criticism by accepting that everyone has their unique beauty.

Practice Self-Acceptance

The first step is to learn what self-acceptance means and why it’s essential for those with body dysmorphia.  Self-acceptance comes from within, so the focus on building positive self-esteem starts by focusing on yourself. The more you practice being mindful of your feelings and thoughts – accepting them without judgment – the easier it’ll be to accept yourself.

In practice, what this means is different for everyone, but practicing self-acceptance might start with developing a more positive relationship with your body.  This will likely take time and effort on your part because you may need to unlearn what you’ve always believed about how you should look.

Avoid Comments About Weight, Size, or Shape

Body comments can be damaging to someone with body dysmorphia because they’re often negative and reinforce the idea that you need to look a certain way to feel good about yourself. 

Instead of commenting on appearance, try looking for other things you have in common such as hobbies or interests, and focus on those.

Conclusion

The best way to build your self-esteem is by caring for yourself. Spend time with people who love you and do things that make you feel good about yourself. If you have body dysmorphia, the best thing you can do is to be mindful of your thoughts and feelings. If things are going on in your life that make it hard for you to feel good about yourself, take care of these problems before they worsen.

Karla Urwitz
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