Everyone struggles with self-doubt from time to time. Developing self love and acceptance can be a daunting task. While it is always good to be challenging and questioning yourself, when it starts to negatively affect your self-image, it rapidly becomes a problem.
Even today with the body positivity movement, people still struggle with issues involving your self-image. This seems evident by research done by Dr. Joe Rubino that indicates 85 percent of people are affected by low self-esteem.
Life gets difficult and it’s hard to not doubt yourself from time to time. So, even if you’re not struggling now with self-image issues, it’s probably best to have some idea of what to do the next time you find yourself having these types of negative thoughts. The following are five ideas for building a healthy self-image.
Stop holding yourself to impossible standards
Everyone is different. Not everyone can do the same things and look the same way. It’s time to be realistic and to stop holding yourself to impossible standards. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “A healthy self-image starts with learning to accept and love ourselves.” Accepting your individual limitations, flaws, and past negative influences is key to a healthy self-image.
Live according to your values
This can be anything from doing the things that matter to you to focusing on the big picture things that move your life forward. For example, for some, religion is what drives their lives forward and gives it meaning. For others, spending time with their loved ones is what gives them purpose and makes their life feel worthwhile, which tends to make them feel worthwhile themselves because of these connections. Most people would agree that spending time with people who help build you up and make life seem valuable aids in developing a healthy self-image.
Let go of others judgments
In a social society, it can be hard to not let what others think get you down. Everyone secretly want their circle of contacts to admire. However, the harsh reality is, not everyone is going to like or find everyone attractive, but that’s okay. It’s impossible to please everyone. According to Total Shape, “It’s time to focus on the handful of people that truly matter and let generalized judgments go.”
Consider therapy
While it is true that there is some stigma around the idea of seeing a mental health professional, in recent years, it has become more and more accepted. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association, 1 in 4 Americans have seen a mental health professional. So, while there is going to be some stigma in certain groups, overall, seeing therapists in Manhattan can help you get to the root of the problem behind why you tend to feel so self-conscious. Living in the Big Apple can be a challenging (it’s hard not to compare yourself to the plethora of people around), but there’s no shame in talking it out in therapy if that’s a step you need.
Start taking more selfies
There has been some research done that suggests that taking selfies could possibly be good for self-esteem. According to a study conducted by Fit Rated, while there has been some links to too much social media being detrimental towards self-image (it’s never great to be comparing yourself to others all the time), they found that in the 1,000 people surveyed, those who took selfies regularly had an overall higher self-esteem and were more satisfied with their appearances. Therefore, if your phone hasn’t been working, this may be the excuse you need to invest in an iphone screen replacement to get back into feeling good about yourself again through more selfies!