Loving your body is a huge and important part of self-love. Something that is crucial when you are trying to live the best life possible; to be the best you possible.
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Unfortunately, knowing we must love our bodies doesn’t always make it so.
Body acceptance is something, I’d be willing to bet, every woman at one stage or another has struggled with in her lifetime. And guess what; some men too.
We get messages that tell us we “should” be thinner, be taller, be shorter, have bigger boobs, have smaller boobs, have less wrinkles, have tight butts, have flawless skin, and on and on and on.
Listening to what outside influences say we “should” look like is detrimental to our self-love and self acceptance. Don’t fall into the trap of responding to external sources by believing you just aren’t good enough the way you are. Because you are.
When we take a good look at what our body is really meant to do, maybe we can come to a genuine place of self acceptance.
Our body isn’t just a way for us to experience the “physicalness” of this life; seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting. Our body is the container of our gifts. It is the sacred holder for all of the fabulous things that make us who we are. It is what stores our heart and soul, our dreams and desires, our passions and purpose.
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Our body has an important assignment indeed.
So what will it take? To give the due respect that our bodies so greatly deserve? To honor and celebrate what we look like? Instead of feeling like we are trying to fit a mold that just doesn’t fit.
What will it take to genuinely feel at peace with our bodies and ourselves? To love everything about who we are, including our freckles, our muffin tops, our pear-shaped hips, and laugh lines?
When do we get to stop comparing ourselves to some unrealistic version of what we “should” look like and just be happy with what we do look like?
Well, I don’t have a comprehensive solution to this age-old problem. There are sociologists and psychologists that have done numerous studies and may have an idea.
All I know is what I think. What I feel. What I’ve seen. What I’ve learned. Being a woman who has not always felt comfortable in the body she lives in, I think that makes me an expert.
Two things I know without a shadow of a doubt:
- Until we put aside the bullshit and truly love ourselves; our blemishes, our long skinny toes, our scars, and even the fat roll that hangs over our bra straps, until we love every bit of ourselves, we will never be able to become all we were meant to be.
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Until we love and accept our packaging, we will never be able to fully enjoy our gifts.
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- Our daughters and the young women of the world, need to hear the message that they are enough. That they are beautiful just they way they are.
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Do you struggle with truly accepting your body? If so, try some of the ideas below.
This powerful vessel that holds your heart and soul deserves it, don’t ya think?
Tips To Help Love The Skin We Are In
Hide your scale.
That thing does nothing but make you feel like shit. Instead, use your clothes as a barometer for your health. If your pants are starting to feel a bit snug, say bye-bye to the french fries!
Clean up your self talk.
(This is a biggie for me.) When your mind starts to tell yourself things that discourage you or beat you down, recognize what is happening. Try to catch it early before you start circling the drain. I try to redirect my thoughts as soon as I realize I am being unkind to myself.
Recognize some days are just shitty days.
Some days you just don’t feel on top of your game. For whatever reason; the weather, what you ate, hormones; some days just feel darker than others. On these days, when you’re not feeling your normal sunshiney self, don’t listen to what your mind has to say. On these downer days, your mind will try to convince you that you are not as awesome as you really are, don’t listen.
Own it.
You are who you are. Every single inch of you. Take all that you are and all that you do and own it. Celebrate it. And if you aren’t perfect all the time, admit it, accept it, and move on.
Use your power for good.
The only one responsible for where you are in life is you. So if you’re not where you want to be, you have the power to change it.
Let you, be you.
Be your true, authentic self. When you live in alignment with who you were meant to be, you will naturally feel more empowered in who you are.
Be grateful.
Gratitude is one sure-fire way to keep goodness at the forefront of your mind.
Stop denying your dreams and desires.
Chase your dreams. The more you try to follow someone else’s dreams, the more out of sync you become. It’s hard to love yourself when you are not being yourself. [Tweet “It’s hard to love yourself when you are not being yourself.”]
Keep a journal.
Write down every day at least one thing you love about yourself. Your physical self. Your emotional self. Your spiritual self. These things are empirical proof that yes, you are lovable .
Get physical.
Move and get in touch with your body. It doesn’t have to be strenuous exercise, it just has to get your blood pumping and your endorphins firing. Trust me! Move your body every day. You will feel better!
Don’t judge your book by it’s cover.
Stop focusing on what you perceive as flaws. Start focusing on what you see as a strengths. Don’t look at your outer packaging and make a judgment about your worth. (And btw, don’t do this to anyone else either.)
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Get out in nature.
Sometimes we need to feel how small we really are to put things into perspective.
Listen to your body.
If you’re feeling sluggish or unhealthy, make a change. A change to your activity level and or nutrition.
Surround yourself with people who encourage you.
Stick with people who get you; who love you for you. People who will call you on your bullshit, especially when you start beating yourself up.
Keep a few self affirmations affixed to the mirror you use most.
What do you need to hear most? Post these so you will see them everyday.
Get dressed to charge the day even if you have nowhere to go.
You always have a date with yourself.
And if all else fails, wear pretty underwear. 🙂
We are only given one body to carry us through this one life. Shouldn’t we honor it?
When we can look at our bodies in the mirror, and see them as the remarkable receptacle that holds our essence, maybe we will be more willing and able to love ourselves, just as we are.
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22 responses to “How You Can Learn To Love Your Body”
I Love this past Karen – I couldn’t agree more. Many years ago I worked with some young women who had eating disorders, they were beautiful and talented and creative, but they couldn’t see it. No ‘body’ will ever be good enough if we don’t learn to love ourselves.
Thank you Laurie! Agree! I feel it is my job as an older woman to encourage and lift up young women and girls so they realize just how perfect they are. Thank you for your comment and for your unwavering support! You truly are the greatest! 🙂
Karen this is beautifully written and just what I needed to read. It’s everything you know in your head but sometimes we let this crazy world override our intellect. Thanks for the reminder!!
I would like to share a quote that I just love……
“COMPARISON IS THE THEIF OF JOY”
Karen you’re fabulous and so are all you other ladies taking the time to read Karen’s inspirational blogs. Xoxo Julie
Aw Jewel! I love that you took time to comment. It just brings such a smile to my lips. I am so glad this post resonated with you. And yes, that is a fabulous quote indeed and so, so true! Love ya!!
Getting out in nature is one of my favorite ways to really love who I am. Being surrounded by trees, or on top of a mountain, leaves me feeling like I can conquer just about anything in the body I have. We go hiking a lot during the Summer and it always helps me embrace the skin I’m in because it pushes me to be stronger.
I love it Ashley! I enjoy nature as well, especially when I need an attitude adjustment. Being outdoors has a way of putting things into perspective for me. My first instinct is to go surfing, but I always tell myself I am gong to hike more. I just need to do it! Thank you for commenting! 🙂
I can remember my Mom, who had a serious weight problem when I was a child and teen, saying to me ‘do I look bigger than her?’ as she would pick out random women in a crowd. I never thought anything of it until I caught myself saying the same thing to my husband. It suddenly hit me what a terrible thing it was. I have tried to be positive for my daughter, who has never had to deal with being over or under weight. In fact, HER positive actions – eating right and exercising – has been a huge influence on ME – not to look a certain way but to just simply improve and maintain a healthy life. These days I do what I can to maintain a healthy lifestyle and for the most part have stopped reprimanding myself for my ‘faults’. It is such a freeing way to life each day!
Oh Laura! I love this comment for so many reasons. First off, isn’t it amazing how we take on, sometimes without knowing it, the traits and hang ups of our parents. When I hear my mom’s words come out of my mouth, it stops me in my tracks! And I LOVE the fact you acknowledge and celebrate that you are learning from your daughter. I have a 17 yr. old daughter and she is so much wiser than I in many areas. I love that we can both be the teacher and the student, you and I. Thank you so much for taking time to post such a thoughtful comment! xx
“If all else fails, wear pretty underwear” – that comment pretty much sums up why my most expensive clothing items are bras and boy-shorts 😉 This is such an insightful and fantastic read! Thank you for it!
Thank you Yadah! I had to end with a funny one! I appreciate you taking time to read the post-I am glad some of the ideas resonated with you. 🙂
All wonderful advice. Why is self-acceptance so hard? I’ve kept a journal for years and its kept me company through many a tough time. Highly recommend it. Thanks for this post.
Yes Laurie . . . journaling is awesome! Self acceptance IS hard, especially if you live in an area, like I do, where Hollywood sets the bar to where women feel they should be. We can never measure up. That is why we need to realize we are so much more than our packaging and we have fabulous gifts.
I try not to focus on beauty- I like to look good but it’s not something I fret about. Right now I”m striving for healthly and authentic. . When I compliment my granddaughters, ages 7 and 9, it’s always about smarts and clever and other things. I don’t tell them they’re pretty very often as that’s not their most important gift.
I think that is so important Walker. Helping young girls and women see that they are SO much more than their physical appearance. Thank you for your comment! 🙂
Wow these are some great tips. I really need to be better about the self talk. I don’t hate my body, but I don’t really love it either at this point.
Thank you Charlene. Yes, the self talk is where I struggle as well. Thank you for commenting!
These are great pointers Karen. I struggle a long time with this and about 10 years ago I started doing a lot of what you mention, now at 50, I feel more beautiful than 20 or 30 years ago. The mindset and self love is a HUGE portion. Loving our body is definitely something that is empowering. Great read!
Thank you Nicole! And yes, I am the same, I love myself way more now than I did 20 years ago. That’s one benefit to getting older! 🙂 Thanks for taking time to read and comment! xx
I love this! I’ve written similar articles myself, and it’s so true. Maybe our collective voices will begin to make a dent. Checking my self talk is a big one for me too. Keep doing what you’re doing, and thanks!
Yes Monica- hopefully if we keep spreading the word, we can make an impact. I think we are similar in many ways and I’m so happy to connect. Thank you for your comment! 🙂 xx
Karen, I love this and definitely needed to read this just now! Time to change the way i feel. My freckles have recently turned to age/sun spots. I’ve been having a pitty party all by myself for myself. Our face is the first thing everyone sees when you meet someone so i have been really beating myself up about this new change in my life. But my husband says no one notices that when they are distracted by my big heart. I need to listen to him more and re read this post of yours more often. Thanks for opening my Eyes, Ears & Heart!
Aw Erika! I am so glad you found some encouragement! Aging sucks! Especially for women! I think it’s important not to get caught up in society’s expectations and just focus on all the amazing things we have to offer. Also-as we age, we realize all that superficial stuff is really unimportant anyway! Hang in there girl and remember-you are beautiful! 🙂 xx