As we approach the end of the year, we usually find ourselves reflecting on the past twelve months that have come and gone. Also, we start to get ready for the next twelve months to come. For many, this ending of the year can be a proud time: Look at all you have done and how much you have grown since last year! For others, this reflection might bring up some self-judgmental thoughts: Did I accomplish everything I wanted to this year? And on top of all the future thinking, we find ourselves face to face with the holidays…Which, again, can hold many different meanings for different people. But I think we can all agree the holidays mean one thing: Food.
Our family is a large one; we have 7 people, and we all love to cook. Home for the holidays, to us, means food. It means sitting down to a family dinner all together to eat a variety of foods, but mostly just a LOT of it! We also always have dessert. We have a family tradition of baking chocolate chip cookies every night when we first all fly home for the holidays…And we end up baking them other nights, too. During times like these, I find myself surrounded by even more self-judgmental thoughts, this time around my body image. Self-judgmental thoughts about body image can differ from person to person, day to day, or in a split second. Often, they are centered around our weight, which can be challenging to deal with in times like the holidays when food can be abundant, relatives are around, and old friends are regrouping, or for a variety of different reasons.
This month’s blog is dedicated to these challenging situations. But first, we need to take a step back and define what we might be experiencing. To do that, we must define the differences between self-image, self-esteem, and body image.
Self-image refers to how you see yourself and how you believe others see you.
Self-esteem is the way you feel about yourself and your capabilities.
Body image is the combination of the thoughts and feelings that you have about your body, and can be positive, negative, or both.
So, while we often think about body image as being the lone indicator of how we see ourselves, we can also rely on our self-image and self-esteem to help us understand the relationship we have with ourselves and our bodies. Having a good self-image, self-esteem, and body image may seem impossible. But cultivating these three things can do so many good things for our health and well-being. And it doesn’t have to be perfect! However, working to better our relationships with our bodies can benefit us in many different ways. Ultimately, it will help to make you more confident, more loving of yourself, and more loving of others.
Below are some ways we can work to improve our self-esteem, self-image, and body image. As we approach the holidays and the end of the year, it’s very important that we remain aware of how we are treating ourselves. Sometimes, we might find ourselves feeling like we don’t like the way we look, or we’re comparing ourselves to others, or we feel like we’re not good enough, or just struggling with self-esteem battles in general. Taking a minute to practice some of these tips could help prevent you from tumbling down the rabbit hole of self-deprecation. Keeping your self-image, esteem, and body image up will help you become your own friend, not your worst enemy. Taking care of ourselves is the most important thing we can do because if we don’t, who will?! So, take a look at this list of advice below, but most importantly, remember to treat yourself with kindness, respect, love, and warmth. And remember, you are always enough!
Ways to improve Self-image, Self-esteem, and Body Image:
- Tell your inner critic to be quiet. This might seem hard, but a simple NO to the voice in your head that might be telling you you’re not enough can go a long way. Recognize that this is a practice and will take time to become better at it!
- Try taking a 2-minute self-appreciation break! List at least three things you value about yourself.
- Try getting to know yourself a bit more to see yourself for who you truly are. Start a journal with your life goals or write down things you think about yourself and look at them from an outside perspective.
- Celebrate your successes and acknowledge the positives in yourself.
- Try to avoid comparing yourself to others and focus solely on cultivating your image the way you feel is most authentic to you. Taking a break from social media could be a good start.
- Don’t let perfect get in the way of good enough.
- Wear clothes that make you feel good about yourself, despite what others might think. If that means sweats, right on!
- Try to prioritize your physical health (get enough sleep, exercise for fun and to feel good, eat healthful foods that will fuel you). Feeling good on the inside will help you feel great on the outside.
- Practice self-compassion and try to accept yourself and love yourself for who you are: you are enough just the way you are!