Some people automatically love the skin they are in. They have a certain confidence in themselves and they love their bodies. But for a wide majority, learning to love your body is a process that takes time and real effort. Societal standards and impossible concepts around beauty have left many of us with fragmented and broken self-images. Unlearning these unhealthy stigmas and perceptions about bodies and what is beautiful takes time, but is totally possible. Making dedicated steps to love yourself from head to toe can really make a difference in how you feel day to day. The self-love journey starts when you decide that you are ready to embrace yourself for exactly who you are and build upon this concept of self-acceptance. If you are looking to improve your self-image and love yourself more, check out these 7 ways to love your body.
Stay Committed.
One of the most important aspects of loving your body is to stay committed to the journey. Unlearning years of negative thinking and unhealthy habits will not change overnight. It will not be easy and will take time, but will pay off in the long run.
Let go of the obsession to look a certain way.
Your preoccupation with looking a certain way probably isn’t even your own thinking. You have likely been taught to think a particular body style is more attractive from societal views. Let go of this notion that any other body type other than yours is more desirable. Instead of trying to fit your body into an outside, unrealistic system, let your body know that it is perfect by internally flipping off this mental switch.
Stop judging other people for their bodies and perceived imperfections.
In order to stop judging your own body, you have to let go of the judgmental nature of judging other people’s bodies too. The harsh critic in your head needs to be silenced and taught better habits on all levels. When you can start speaking and thinking positively about other people’s looks, you can do the same for yourself.
Purge your social media of all negative reinforcements.
When you are on a self-healing journey, you have to be very mindful of the content you consume. This is a delicate and critical time to keep your mind positive. Get rid of any accounts or content that make you feel bad about your body or that enforce unhealthy beauty stigmas.
Get to know your body intimately.
How much time have you spent really getting to know your body? Take time to learn your curves, your peaks, your moles, your dimples, and all of the beautiful details in between. Even take time to learn your body’s language, what it is trying to tell you when you have physical ebbs and flows throughout the day. Getting to know your body and speaking the same language will make you feel closer and more connected to your physical self.
Do something nice for your body every single day.
Get in the practice of loving yourself every single day. This includes doing something special or nice for your body to help it recognize that it is loved – and for you to remember that you love it. This can be stretching, giving yourself a foot or hand massage, soaking in a tub, or wearing things that are pleasing to your senses (like fuzzy socks).
Go on dates with your body!
This may sound weird, but really this just means giving your body new experiences. Go on walks, try a new dance class, go hiking on a new trail, or try new foods. By creating new and positive experiences with your body, you expose it and yourself to new things and can prove all that your body is capable of. This also helps to create new neural pathways in your brain that tell you that you love your body and all the beautiful experiences it allows you to have.
