People often put a lot of stake in their appearance and body image. They’ll consistently work out on a daily basis to achieve their ideals of the perfect body and they’ll invest a lot into beauty products and skincare routines to improve their appearance. Some even go as far as to consider cosmetic surgery to change aspects of their body or face that they don’t like. There are ultimately a lot of ways for someone to feel better about themselves, but does it really affect your self-esteem or does it actually come from within?
It’s a difficult question to answer because everyone would have a different response. Some people believe that having the ideal “social media body” is the best way to achieve true self-esteem and confidence. However, others would argue that being comfortable in your own skin is the real end-goal. But what exactly is the right approach to take? Or does it even matter?
Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/n_a_20H-DVM (CC0)
What is body image?
Your body image is essentially a mental picture that you have of your own body and how you see yourself in the mirror. Most people think of their body image as something horrid and will constantly strive to achieve something else. They may do this through exercise, changing their diet, with makeup or even a cosmetic procedure such as a facelift. However, it’s not enough to just focus on the outside appearance. You also need to feel great on the inside.
Balancing your self-esteem
By treating your body with respect, you can improve your emotional, physical and spiritual health. These three factors are linked together and will affect one another. Having the right balance is the key to living a positive life with confidence and self-esteem. Some people may love the way they look, but won’t be fulfilled in terms of their emotional and spiritual needs. Others may get all of the emotional and spiritual support they need, but they may consider themselves ugly which ruins any sense of self-worth and self-esteem they have.
By recognising your positive qualities and strengths, you can feel a lot better about yourself. Finding supportive friends and family members is also important for boosting your confidence and self-esteem. Everyone achieves this in a different way, but the key is to look for a harmonious balance between your physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
At the end of the day, the body image we have of ourselves is unique to us. Balancing both inner and outer beauty is important to achieve true self-esteem and confidence in oneself. Just because you don’t conform to societal standards of beauty, it doesn’t mean that you can’t be confident in yourself. Similarly, just because you do chase beauty norms pushed by social media, it doesn’t always mean that you’re hollow.
Ultimately, achieving self-esteem and confidence in your appearance is all about embracing what you have, changing what you don’t like and being happy with yourself. Treat your body with respect and do things that help to make you more positive.