Skip to main content

Body Image

What is body image?

Body image is how you feel and think about your body. It is also how you think other people see you. In teenagers and young adults body image can be closely linked to self-esteem. Who we are and how we see ourselves is influenced from many different sources such as family, friends, culture, media, magazines and the television.

Negative body image

Negative body image is when you do not like the way you look. Most people feel like they don’t measure up – especially when they measure themselves against the standards of beauty commonly seen if the media. You start to feel uncomfortable and self-conscious about your body and may people cannot even see for themselves who they truly are.

Positive image

Having a positive body image is how you feel about the way you look. Accepting yourself for who you truly are. Many people with a positive image know that their bodies are not perfect but they accept, appreciate and even love the differences.

Positive or negative what do you have?

Realising if you have a positive or negative body image will help you to understand who you are and help you become a stronger person. Ask yourself these questions.
  • How do you feel when you look in the mirror?
  • How do you feel when you see pictures of attractive people in magazines, on TV, or online?
  • What do you think other people think about how you look?
  • Do you ever avoid activities like exercising or having sex because you are uncomfortable showing your body?
  • Do you often feel critical about the way you look?
  • How do you usually reply when people compliment how you look?
  • Can you list your three favourite things about your body?
  • Do you often feel jealous of other people for the way they look?

Remember

It’s normal for everyone to think or have negative feelings about themselves some of the time, but when those feelings are negative all the time it is a sign for you to ask for help.
 How to improve your body image?
There are many ways of improving your body image without changing your body. Below are some tips to help create a healthy body image.
  • Accept and value your genes – everyone may inherit traits from family members. Love your traits like you love your family.
  • Keep a list of your positive qualities that have nothing to do with your appearance.
  • Surround yourself with people who are supportive and who make you feel good about yourself
  • Treat your body with respect and kindness

Remember everyone is beautiful and you should love yourself no matter what. You have the power to create a better and stronger you.

JESSICA CUTHBERTSON CYP VOLUNTEER

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How to write a CV

A CV is the first opportunity to tell an employer what you can do. Your CV is an important part for when you are job searching.    B efore starting to write your CV sit down and make lists of any job or work experience you have had, any skills or achievements you may have which might help in the job role and any hobbies you like to do in your spare time. This will help you out when writing your CV.    What is a CV   A CV (curriculum vitae) lets you to summarise your education, skills and experience, selling yourself to employers.  When writing your CV only include main facts as employers want to read only relevant information.     What to include   Contact details -  include your full name, home address, mobile number and email address. You do not have to include your date of birth.    Profile – this is placed at the beginning of your CV. It is a paragraph that highlights your key reasons...

Self Harm

What is self-harm Self-harm is when you hurt yourself as a way of dealing with difficult feelings, bad memories or stressful situations and experiences. People have different ways of expressing self-harm such as; Express something that is difficult to put into words Change emotional pain into physical pain Reduce very strong feelings or thoughts Punish yourself for your feeling and experiences After you have self-harmed you may feel a short term of release. The cause of the distress has unlikely not gone away and it may have come back worse. Once you become dependent on self-harm it may take a long time to stop. Types of self-harm There are many ways people can intentionally harm themselves, such as: cutting or burning their skin punching or hitting themselves poisoning themselves with tablets or toxic chemicals misusing  alcohol  or  drugs deliberately starving themselves ( anorexia nervosa ) or  binge eating  (buli...

Volunteering

Why volunteer People choose to volunteer for many different reasons. For some it offers the chance to give back to the community or make a difference to the people around them. For others it’s too provide chances to develop new skills or build on existing experiences and knowledge. Below are a few reasons why people volunteer Make a difference to the lives of others Help others less fortunate or without a voice Feel valued and part of a team Boost confidence and self-esteem Gaining new skills, knowledge and experience Regardless of the motivation people who volunteer find it challenging and rewarding. Why I volunteer I have been a volunteer for Canvey yellow door for almost two years. I volunteer as it allows me to build on my confidence and self-esteem which has grown since I started. It allows me to use my experiences to help others and make them feel good about themselves.  The staff and volunteers at yellow door are so friendly and helpful which makes y...