There’s no such thing as the perfect body. Yet media and certain social expectations mean many teens view their own body in a negative way or believe they are ugly. Body image issues can easily arise, made all the more worse by the perceived-to-be perfect bodies displayed online and by the famous.
What Might Be the Signs That You’re Suffering from Body Image Issues?
You may not fully understand that what you’re feeling is a lack of self-esteem regarding your body image. Here are the key signs that you may be suffering from these issues.
- You only ever view your image in a negative way
- You focus on the smallest flaws
- You focus on a flaw which may not even be there (such as when you can see something on your body which others maintain they can’t see)
- You spend an unhealthy time on social media or online comparing your image to others
- You hate to look at yourself in the mirror
- You have an unhealthy relationship with food which corresponds to the way you want to look
- Obsessing over your weight or appearance
- Feeling anxiety or conscious about your appearance
- Having other issues which directly link, such as low mood or mental illness triggered by body image issues
4 Secrets to Surviving Body Image Issues
If any of the above holds true and you feel as though you’re struggling with your body image, here are four examples of how you can overcome this.
1. Begin to Focus on the Positives
This can be very hard to do, but start somewhere small. It’s a lot easier if you keep a journal to note down some ideas. Focusing only on the positive, think about things you like about yourself. It could be the simplest thing. You like the color of your hair, or you like the shape of your eyes. Even if the majority of your thoughts are negative at this time, try to pinpoint positives and concentrate on them.
2. Find the Help You Need
Low self-esteem, an unhealthy relationship with your body, and mental illness are all conditions that you don’t have to be ashamed of. There is dedicated help out there to set time aside to focus solely on overcoming this problem. Supportive environments like igniteteentreatment.com exist to allow teens to find happiness with themselves again.
3. Take a Social Media Break
Images you see online are going to do nothing to improve your self-esteem. Take a break from comparing yourself to the other images you see.
It’s important to remember that what you see on social media may never be the reality. Most images have been edited or placed with filters to make everything seem perfect. Online images also often adhere to impossible beauty standards, which just aren’t realistic.
4. Focus on Health Rather Than Image
When you feel healthy, you begin to think more positively. What’s more, taking care of your body is more important than how you look. Implement regular exercise into your routine so that you can boost your positive mood. What’s more, the more active you become, the more confident you will begin to feel in your own skin.