Lets talk Body Image

 Of course, as a girl recovering from an eating disorder- working on body image is right up there on my priorities, however this should be the same for everybody! The way we see ourselves has a huge impact on the way that we live our lives.

Firstly, we’re our own worst critics. When we look in the mirror, 99% of us will focus on that one part of our body we don’t like. Big hips? Big legs? Flat bum? Bum too big? (Is that possible!?) no abs? You name it, we all have our pinpoints that we just don’t like. Wheras when we look at someone else we’re immediately drawn to the best parts of them. Then we do the whole comparison thing and make ourselves feel even worse that we already do about ourselves. So how do we stop doing this?
We need to recognise that we’re doing it in order to change it!! This is pretty easy when we reflect on the whole- but it’s about realising that we’re doing it at the time we’re doing it! This is when we can make a change and start to challenge our thought process.

When I find I’m comparing my self to somebody, I’ll remind my self that every ones idea of beauty is different. What I see as beautiful, somebody else might not. Naturally as humans we all want what we don’t have. Somebody tall and slim may wish they were shorter with more curves and vice versa. It’s about accepting we’re all different, every single one of us has things we like and dislike about ourselves but we shouldn’t base our own expectations on the way someone else looks. Those times that I’m stood at the mirror picking out the things I dislike, I force my self to pick out something I do like and change that internal conversation I have with my self. May sound cliché or simple, but it makes a huge difference!

Secondly, we need to stop putting value on our bodies for the way that they look- what about all of the incredible things they do for us?
When I’m feeling down about my appearance I’ve started to ask myself, what do I love about my body for what it does for me. Here’s just a few that I came up with…

1)      I love my legs for allowing me to complete a half marathon this year and for generally enabling me to explore and get from A to B.
2)      I love my arms for being able to complete day to day tasks. Also for allowing me to reach out orhug the people closest to me
3)      I love my hands for allowing me to complete activities, do my work, type this blog post!!
4)      I love my eyes for being able to see the world
5)      I love that my body allows me to follow my passion and workout at the gym
6)      I love my whole body for not giving up on me and fighting back when I starved it of all its needs.

The list could go on and on. Think of your favourite thing to do in the world, your favourite places, your favourite foods. Our body allows us to experience these things! How can we hate our bodies when they do so much for us!? We put a value on our body based purely on the parts we don’t like the look of. In the grand scheme of things the way our body looks is just a minor part.

 

Lastly, I couldn’t possibly write a post on body image and not mention the media. In this day and age we’re all aware of photoshop and the false portrayal that the media can often put out. When you’re flicking through magazines and seeing all of these ‘perfect’ bodies and wishing you could achieve them- quit now! You’ll be putting yourself through hell and back to try to achieve something that’s impossible. 99.9% of the time even the person who the perfect photograph is of doesn’t even look like that!
The way we see our bodies has a huge impact on us. It can affect our mood, our motivation levels and most definitely our confidence & self-esteem. When you become so focused and negative around your body image you can become obsessed with highlighting your flaws and making drastic changes to your life. This can usually become all about diet and exercise. So what do people lose on their mission to perfection? They miss out on special occasions and creating memories because they’re so focused on what foods they’re eating, they decline plans to go out because they can’t bare the thought of putting a dress on. They plan big holidays and then spend the majority of the time riddled with anxiety about the prospect of wearing a bikini. Most importantly they lose value of themselves because they can’t reach that standard of perfection that the media creates. Truth is, nobody can.
You are you. We put so much time and effort in to building good relationships with friends, family, partners, colleagues- but what about the relationship you have with yourself? That should be your priority and if that’s good, the rest will follow.

 

Somebody once said something that has stuck with me to this day, they said; When you’re much older and perhaps have children or even grandchildren and they’re asking you about your life, wont you want to tell them all of the amazing places you’ve visited, the amazing foods you’ve tasted, your greatest achievements? Won’t you want to show them albums of photos of your life and experiences and be able to think back and remember how happy you were? Isnt that more important than looking at the photos and only being able to remember how anxious or insecure you felt about the way you looked? Or even worse, not having any photos or amazing memories because you hid yourself away or didn’t go places because you didn’t like the way you looked or didn't want to break your diet? They won’t be interested in the fact that you managed to stay your goal size-  that story will be worthless.

To summarise this blog post I guess I just want to highlight the importance of positive body image. Of accepting who you are, focusing on taking care of your body - as it’s yours for life! There is a big focus on health and fitness nowadays, which I’m a huge fan of! But don’t get lost in the obsession of looking a certain way. Live a fit and healthy lifestyle but build that positive relationship with yourself and you will naturally fuel and take care of your body the way that you should.

We are all perfect in our own way!

KJ x