Understanding Your Body Image And How It Affects Your Health
What you think about yourself matters the most. Emotional health is as important as your physical health. As a result, you must ensure you take better care of what you think about yourself more than ever.
Your body image is how you view your physical characteristics. Do you think that you have a positive attitude when you look at yourself in the mirror? This article highlights why it’s essential to have a positive outlook on your body to improve your physical health, and tips on how to improve your body image.
How Does Your Body Image Affect Your Health?
When you have negative feelings about the appearance of your body, you increase the likelihood of having negative feelings about yourself and your health. The main concern of having a negative outlook towards your body image is developing a low self-esteem. Essentially, this takes a toll on your mental and physical health in the long run.
Moreover, if you have a low self-esteem, you end up developing related problematic behaviours such as, extreme dieting, obsessing about exercise and social isolation. This leads to anxiety and stress that can cause chronic mental health problems such as depression. According to experts, if you suffer from body image issues, you’re at a higher risk of mental health problems.
Changing the way that you view your body helps you reduce the risk of mental health problems. Research suggests that people with a positive body image have a higher self-esteem. Likewise, they tend to have a higher quality of life. If you ensure a positive body image, you improve your physical, mental, and emotional health.
The Link Between a Negative Body Image, Eating Disorders and Mental Health
If you have a negative body image, you increase the risk of developing eating disorders. Research suggests that what you think impacts your emotional experiences. In most cases, when you are unsatisfied with how your body looks, you can develop unhealthy eating habits that lead to severe eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.
Let’s say you start to diet due to the negative way you see your body. You can start obsessing over the way you eat. Moreover, you begin to create unrealistic physical goals.
Once you go down this road, it’s difficult to find the balance between maintaining your mental and physical health. In fact, if you develop an eating disorder, you’re at a higher risk of endangering your health. This can lead to fatal effects if left untreated.
How to Improve Your Body Image?
As much as one list can’t tell you what to do, it can still be a useful guide to help you start your journey towards a positive body image. You must have healthier ways to look at your body and yourself. The following are essential suggestions you must consider when you want to improve your body image.
Change How You See Yourself
First things first, you must ensure that you appreciate your body as much as you can. Your body is the main thing that you have that carries you closer to your dreams. When you don’t sustain your body in a healthy way, it affects your overall health.
Identify the Underlying Triggers for Negative Thoughts
Sometimes, the way you look at your body is influenced by various factors. For instance, you might have gone through a traumatic experience that led you to believe that your body isn’t worth being loved. In worse cases, abuse is a common trigger.
It’s crucial to identify what the underlying triggers are that cause you to have all these negative thoughts. It helps to sort through these thoughts. You can find ways to heal how you view yourself.
Focus on Positive Aspects
Once you become intentional about changing your body image, you must practice being mindful of being positive. When you focus on the positive aspects of your body, it makes it easier to create a new way to see yourself. This includes reflecting on what you eat and your physical health.
Be Cautious of the Media
Living in the digital age is convenient. It’s easy to find everything and anything since information is easily available. However, it’s also easy to get lost in the media portrayals of how your body should be.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that what you consume on media channels isn’t always realistic. People rely on enhanced images to sell an idea to you. As a result, you must be cautious of how media influences the way you view yourself.
In summary, your body image is an important aspect of your overall health. You must ensure that you maintain a positive mindset when it comes to your emotional health. Understanding the link between your body image and the effects it has on your physical health helps you reduce any risks associated with health.
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