Most people go through times when we struggle with our body image, whether it’s for a day, a week, or a month. However, that doesn’t mean that you need to sit back and accept it. Like with anything, when you invest some time in working on your body image, it can make a huge difference to how you feel. We’re here with some practical tips that you can incorporate today for boosting your body image, and to help you glow from the inside and the outside.
Clear Out Your Wardrobe
First up, you should go through your wardrobe and pick out anything that doesn’t fit properly, doesn’t make you feel confident or simply you don’t like to wear. Too often we try to force ourselves to wear clothes that don’t make us feel good because they’re a certain size or we think we should like them, however just like wearing clothing you don’t like can negatively impact your confidence, when you wear something that fits really nicely, it can transform your confidence. So, once you’ve had a good clear out, you could either donate or sell those clothes.
From here, focus on adding a few quality pieces of clothing to your wardrobe that boost your confidence and make you feel really great. Perhaps try on some different styles that you might not have tried before, as they could be just what you’re looking for. Whether it’s bikini sets for summer, wedding guest dresses or your gym wear, focus on finding pieces that make you feel great about yourself and it can be an instant confidence boost.
Fuel Your Body With Nutritious Ingredients
Something else you can do for boosting your body image is to fuel your body with nutritious ingredients. When you look after your body and care for it on the inside, it can transform how you feel on the outside. Fuelling your body with things like lean meats, healthy fats, lots of different fruits and veg and generally whole foods, you will have so much more energy and naturally you will feel good about yourself.
A full diet change can be overwhelming, and rather than cutting anything out, focus on adding nutritious foods to what you’re already eating. This might be starting your day with a fruit packed green smoothie, maybe you focus on eating a wider variety of fruits and veg, you might make an effort to eat more protein or maybe you plan more meals that are high in fiber. Drinking more water can also really help, as when you’re well hydrated you can notice a clear difference in how you feel. Maybe you adapt to a European lifestyle and focus on eating nutritious food and spending time in the sunshine. Small changes can make the biggest difference when it comes to your body and it can have a big impact on how you feel mentally too.
Have A Social Media Cleanse
One of the biggest things that has an impact on people’s body image today is social media. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook and TikTok are full of people posting only the highlights of their lives, or photos/videos that are highly edited, have been taken professionally or simply aren’t a reflection of real life. So, when we’re not feeling great in ourselves, scrolling through and seeing people supposedly living their best lives can be really difficult.
As well as reminding yourself that what you see on social media often isn’t real life and these people may not be as happy as they seem, you should consider having a bit of a social media cleanse. You should focus on spending less time on social media and replacing it with things that make you feel good, like reading your book, having a hot bath or having a catch up with a friend. You can also go through the people you’re following and if you notice that the things people post aren’t having a positive impact, then you could unfollow them.
Social media does have positive sides, with many people now being more open about the negative sides of life and creating relatable content, which is good to focus on in terms of what you engage with. However, a large part of the space is still very artificial and so making a few adjustments to help make it a positive place can help to change your mindset.
Adjust Your Mindset On Exercise
Something else you can do to help improve your body image is to adjust your mindset on exercise. It’s really common to directly correlate exercise with how we look, however this can contribute to a really unhealthy body image. It’s easier said than done, but when you start to set yourself non-appearance related fitness goals, not only will your relationship with your body improve, but you will naturally see your fitness improve.
So, an example would be, rather than spending half an hour on the treadmill, why not do a 30 minute dance fitness class?
When you make swaps to do something you enjoy, suddenly exercise feels a lot less like a chore and much more like a hobby. Or, in terms of non-weight related goals, instead of trying to lose 5lbs, focus instead on trying to do 5 press ups. Often when you make these swaps you get to where you want to be physically anyway, but in a much healthier way, with much more appreciation and love for your body.
Final Thoughts
When we’re struggling with our body image it can feel really overwhelming and confusing, however with a few healthy swaps to your mindset and habits, you will soon see and feel a shift in how you feel about yourself. Being kind to yourself and your body is so important, as when you do this, you will feel it filter into all aspects of your life and you’ll be much happier for it. We’re so much more than what we look like, so always remember that, however in a world where body image is talked about so much, sometimes when you’re feeling low it’s important to make a few conscious changes to help improve your relationship with yourself and your body.
