How’s Your Body Confidence In Togs?
Or even better naked? It’s clear statistically that there is a growing epidemic of obesity. And relatively controversial debates around body positivity and ‘healthy at any size’ movements. But what not many people are talking about is the psychological epidemic stemming from a severe lack of confidence in our own bodies and minds.
I recently asked on Instagram how your body confidence was in togs. I was shocked. Not one positive response. I was greeted with a tirade of “non-existent”, “not as good as it used to be”, “terrible mate”, “I don’t go near togs”.
What’s The Cost To You At The Moment?
Insecurities make us behave in funny ways - they eat you up, affect your relationships, your mood and your ability to perform in daily life. This topic can be crippling for many, triggering for some and an absolute ‘no go’ zone for others. Let’s start talking about it. Because it’s not an issue that’s going away fast.
Screw what everyone else thinks. If your decisions align with what you want. That’s where the magic of body confidence comes. For the sake of this bitesize article, let’s cut years of work down to 3 Simple Steps – Get Honest, Reflect On Your Current Beliefs, Choose Your Hard.
Questions – let’s get honest.
- Are you easily offended by comments from others?
- Do you resent people you see with bodies that you want?
- Do you shy away from cameras? Or filter every photo?
Below: my beautiful friends, all with our own body confidence stories, all embracing our bodies as they are ...and constantly working on them in different ways. Some had recently lost weight, some felt amazing and womanly after gaining weight - what makes you feel confident is different for everyone.
Step 1 – Get honest.
Ask yourself how many of these external factors are in fact reflecting your internal thoughts, feelings and beliefs? Do these innocuous external factors niggle at you because you know you could be treating yourself in a better way?
Reflect On Your Beliefs
- I look awful in togs and that’s never going to change
- I say I believe in ‘body positivity’ but internally I feel uncomfortable
- I am not proud of how I treat my body
Step 2 - Identify your beliefs about your body
I have friends who advocate body positivity and being healthy at any size, but behind closed doors admit to being incredibly uncomfortable in their own skin. Are you really being honest with yourself? Are you proud of how you currently treat your body? Do you believe that you can change if you want to?
Step 3 - Choose Your ‘Hard’
A really important factor to remember is that when it comes to body confidence is that you get to choose your ‘hard’. That’s right – you choose – no one else.
Is it hard to mindfully consider what you put into your body on a daily basis? Sure. Is it hard to shut out the external pressures at the office, home, roadside cafe? Yep. Is it hard to get out and exercise in the morning when there are a million other things you could be doing? Some days.
The Crucial Question – What Is Harder For You?
- Feeling uncomfortable all summer
- Enduring crippling thoughts on a daily basis (or worse, shutting them out)
- Self-hatred and doubt
OR
- Getting honest
- Considering how you want to feel
- Taking actions to help get you there
For me, the alternative to looking after my body is much, much harder. It’s going back to the place of feeling uncomfortable (internally) with the way I look, feel and perform.
The mood boost of exercise, the mental clarity that comes with good food and a body that I love (most days), will always outweigh the hard of going back to where I was. That is; trying to hide my body, knowing I was doing my health no good, being afraid of cameras, holidays and sports. It was crippling and it was dull.
External Versus Internal Body Confidence
It comes down to getting honest with yourself. Knowing when the ‘hard’ or feeling ‘uncomfortable’ is getting too much. And remembering that, the only one who can truly enact change is you.
Get honest about when it’s time to start investing in you. Because you’re the only one who will. It’s hardly a selfish endeavour. If you felt fully confident, happy and authentically your best self in both your body and mind, imagine how much more you could bring to friends, family, work and the people around you in general.
If you want to book in for a Consultation or Workplace Wellness session to talk through aspects you might be missing. Drop me a line.
Get in touch on Facebook or Instagram at @amysfitnessandnutrition, drop me a message to 0272 650 350, or check out more at amysfitnessandnutrition.co.nz.
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