Hey Boot Campers
Ever thought: I’m fat. I’m too skinny. I’d be happy if I were taller, shorter, had curly hair, straight hair, a smaller nose, bigger muscles, longer legs.
Do any of these statements sound familiar? Are you used to putting yourself down? If so, you’re not alone.
Why Are Self-Esteem and Body Image Important?
Self-esteem is all about how much people value themselves, the pride they feel in themselves, and how worthwhile they feel. Self-esteem is important because feeling good about yourself can affect how you act. A person who has high self-esteem will make friends easily, is more in control of his or her behavior, and will enjoy life more.
Body image is how someone feels about his or her own physical appearance. For many people, body image are closely linked to self-esteem.
What Influences a Person’s Self-Esteem?
With our natural desire to feel accepted, it can be tempting for people to compare themselves with others. You may compare yourself with the people around you or with actors and celebs you see on TV, in movies, or in magazines.
But it’s impossible to measure ourselves against others because each one of us are unique.
Family life can sometimes influence self-esteem. If your parents spend more time criticizing you on the way you looked rather than praising you, it definitely would have influenced your self-esteem.
Negative comments and hurtful teasing about the way you look from other also plays a role. Sometimes racial and ethnic prejudice is the source of such comments. Although these often come from ignorance, sometimes they can affect someone’s body image and self-esteem.
Healthy Self-Esteem
If you have a positive body image, you probably like and accept yourself the way you are. This healthy attitude allows you to explore other aspects of life, such as developing good friendships, growing more independent, and challenging yourself physically and mentally. Developing these parts of yourself can help boost your self-esteem.
A positive, optimistic attitude can help people develop strong self-esteem — for example, saying, “Hey, I’m human” instead of “Wow, I’m such a loser” when you’ve made a mistake, or not blaming others when things don’t go as expected.
Knowing what makes you happy and how to meet your goals can help you feel capable, strong, and in control of your life. A positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle (such as exercising and eating right) are a great combination for building good self-esteem.
Tips for Improving Your Body Image
Some people think they need to change how they look or act to feel good about themselves. But actually all you need to do is change the way you see your body and how you think about yourself.
The first thing to do is recognize that your body is your own, no matter what shape, size, or color it comes in. If you’re very worried about your weight or size, then rather start a training program and start eating healthy. These are positive changes that will assist you to feel better about yourself.
But remember; it’s no one’s business but your own what your body is like — ultimately, you have to be happy with yourself.
Next, identify which aspects of your appearance you can realistically change and which you can’t. Everyone (even the most perfect-seeming celeb) has things about themselves that they can’t change and need to accept — like their height, for example, or their shoe size.
If there are things about yourself that you want to change and can (such as how fit you are), do this by making goals for yourself. For example, if you want to get fit, make a plan to exercise every day and eat nutritious foods. Then keep track of your progress until you reach your goal. Meeting a challenge you set for yourself is a great way to boost self-esteem!
When you hear negative comments coming from within yourself, tell yourself to stop. Try building your self-esteem by giving yourself a compliment every day. Then, every evening list three things in your day that really gave you pleasure. It can be anything from the way the sun felt on your face, the sound of your favorite band, or the way someone laughed at your jokes. By focusing on the good things you do and the positive aspects of your life, you can change how you feel about yourself.
Small but sustainable changes to how you view yourself will help boost your self image and with this will come acceptance of your body and self-love!! Remember, we cannot truly love another person unless we accept and love ourselves.
Until next time – stay strong, stay fit, stay healthy, and keep training like a WARRIOR!!
Meet Sharon, who heads up www.eXtremeBootCamp.co.za !
Outdoor fitness training specialist that runs eXtreme Boot Camp
Be prepared!!
• extreme FUN
• extreme FITNESS
• extreme MOTIVATION
• extreme INSPIRATION
• extreme DETERMINATION
• extreme PERFORMANCE
How do I register?
Contact SHARON for FUN FEARLESS FABULOUS FITNESS
Call Today +27 (0) 76 722 3782
Email info@extremebootcamp.co.za
Website www.extremebootcamp.co.za