Research has shown again and again, that if people spend a lot of time on Facebook, then their self-esteem lowers. You don’t need to delete all of your social media accounts though. You just need to change the way that you interact with them so that you can avoid going into a doom spiral. If you want to make a positive change, then this is certainly the guide for you.
Think about the Cool Stuff your Body Can Do
Instead of looking in the mirror and thinking about what you hate about yourself, try and acknowledge all of the things that you are capable of doing. If you have a child, think about what a miracle this is. If you have run a marathon before then think about how great this was. You might have made your body an enemy over time, but you should view it as a friend. If you can do this, then you will soon find that you are able to focus on body positivity much more. If you have given birth, then you may feel bad about your body because it’s just not the same as it was before. This is understandable, but looking up things like “will linea nigra go away” and by taking the time to seek out creams and lotions, you may find that you can correct a lot of the things you have a problem with. You can also take the road of trying to embrace your imperfections because they make you who you are.
Talk about What you Love
Do you love your hair? Your eyes? Your hands? Try and focus on the things that you love about yourself and also stop that negative voice that is in the back of your head. If you want to help yourself then you need to pick a body part that you like and then talk about it out loud. Sure, it may seem daft, talking about yourself like this, but it will help you to fight major body issues and it can be an incredibly powerful tool as well.
Document your Wins
When you are dealing with low self-esteem and body image issues, you may find it very difficult to remember all of the good things about yourself. If you want to help yourself here, then it is a good idea to try and create a victory file. Every time you get a compliment or even when you accomplish something that you are incredibly proud of, write it down and then stash it in your desk or even display it in your home. When you do this, you can then look back to them from time to time. This will help you to make the most out of the little things, which will make a big difference to your self-esteem.
Adopt Affirmations
Yes, this does mean talking to yourself in the mirror. That being said, it does work. It’s recommended that you find a positive affirmation so that you can repeat it to yourself every day. This could be “I can do anything that I set my mind to” or “I am enough”. Things like this can help you to view yourself as being the superhuman you really are, and it can also help you to push through any tough times you might be having.
Do Nice Things for Everyone
Volunteering and doing kinds of charity can easily help you to feel good about yourself. If you are donating a few minutes of your day, or a few hours, you will soon find that you can receive good feedback, and this will compound into a body-positive mindset. If you are finding it hard to do nice things, because you just don’t know where to start, then look up the local charities in the area and see if they need any help. It is also wise for you to try and help out an elderly neighbor, with some meals. Things like this can make you feel as though you are helping those who need it the most.
Talk to yourself Like a Best Friend Would
If you call yourself names, or if you hate on your reflection every time you look in the mirror, then you need to ask yourself, would you say this to your best friend? Your mother? Your sister? If not then you need to try and make sure that you make a positive change. You need to stop calling yourself names like this and you also need to make sure that you start treating yourself better. If you can do this, then you will certainly see a more positive change.
Fake It
Even if you are not feeling great about yourself, you need to try and practice a couple of tactics that make you feel better. You need to try and project your confidence onto other people if possible as this will help them to see you in a new light. You need to make eye contact, you need to smile and you also need to give a very firm handshake. Communicating clearly and sitting upright will also help you. Even if you are not feeling confident, you need other people to believe that you are. People will respond very positively to you if you are in this situation, and it will help you overall.
Deprogram
The best and most empowering thing that you can do is look into media literacy. If you can do this, then you will surely open your eyes. You may also find that when you go on Facebook, you are constantly viewing stereotypes. Most of what you see on social media will be fantasy, so you have to try and train your brain. You need to stop telling yourself that you need to look like that. Instead, tell yourself that what you are seeing is probably not a genuine representation of a woman. What you are seeing isn’t real life, it is a snippet of someone’s life, and there is far more going on behind the scenes than what you may realize. If you can do this, then you will soon find that you can make a huge difference to your life.
Look Past Stereotypes
One of the main issues that comes with media is that it will only show you a small representation of what you see. Now you know that media deprograming is so important, you need to try and take action on it. You need to stop following the hashtags that you do right now on social media and instead, change them to things like #allbodiesarebeautiful and even #loveyourself. If you do this, then you will be shown women who are stunning and confident. You will also see that they look like you, far more than the women you are seeing right now. Of course, this concept applies to men as well, so if you are ready to make a positive change then make sure that you keep this in mind because it could change your life.
Fake it Until you Make It
It’s so important that you only say very positive things about yourself. Even if you do not mean them about yourself. Ban any negative talk and keep a journal too. When you do something great, try and write it in the journal so that you have a constant reference about your positive efforts. The more you can try and silence the monster inside your head, the better. If you don’t feel like dressing up nicely today, then cut yourself some slack. Wear what makes you feel good, whether it is a sweatshirt and jeans, or simply shorts and a t-shirt. If you can do this, then you will soon find that you are able to feel much better about yourself. If you want to help yourself then it is wise for you to try and wear perfume some days as well. You don’t need to dress up and go out in order to smell great, so try and keep this in mind if you can.
Update your Crew
You are who you hang out with. This is a very true statement, so make the effort to surround yourself with great people who make you feel fantastic about yourself. This will have a huge impact on your self-esteem, and it will also help you greatly with your confidence.
Unplug if you Can
Even if you do not think that social media affects you, it does. You may be able to improve your body confidence by unplugging a little and by cutting back on screen time. Stop flicking through fashion magazines and also try and just focus on yourself a little. If you can do this, then you will soon find that you can feel way better about your body image, and this can work in your favor. If you find it hard to shut off from social media, then there are apps out there that you can use. Some of them limit how long you can use each app, and this can encourage you to be way more mindful of the time you actually spend on social media.