MENTALHEALTH
HOW TO ACHIEVE YOUR FITNESS AND WELLBEING GOALS AND MAINTAIN A POSITIVE SELF IMAGE
By Roberta Smith
Life Coach/Counsellor
Effective techniques to stay fit and take care of your mental health in a proactive
way to keep you feeling good about yourself
Let’s talk about the significance placed on physical Appearance in our modern society. Nowadays, it seems to be all about how do you measure up to the Instagram Ideal?
This notion shouldn’t come as a complete surprise, given the wide-spread impact and influence of social media, teenagers and adults typically scrutinise themselves more than ever before.
Here are some simple questions to ponder on?
- Do you ever feel insecure about how you look when you see yourself in the mirror?
- If yes, do you feel unsure about your body appearance?
- If the answer is no, then you are one of the lucky few. Nonetheless, I urge you to keep reading in case you can relate to the pressures of looking your best even when you are not feeling it.
Here are some useful tips to increase confidence about your body:
- Try putting notes around your mirror reminding yourself about what you like about your appearance. Things like” I have beautiful brown eyes!”
- Surround yourself with positive affirmations. That way, when you take a shower or get dressed in the morning, it will be one of the first things you read and will make you feel good about yourself, even if it only happens subconsciously. Change your self-perception Start
I was a shy and insecure girl growing up, until I began to pursue areas
of life, which I found fulfilling which were dance and music.
So here are some great ideas to try for yourself:
- If you feel self-conscious about your weight, make your work out as enjoyable as possible. For instance, go for a jog in the park or near water
- Try group activities such as squad goals, be a team player and join a sports team of your choice, buddy up with some friends when working out
- A problem shared is a problem halved. So talk to your friends at school or social club about how you are feeling.
- Try to distance yourself from social media and restrict your usage of it on a daily basis. That way, you’ll have more time to do the things you love.
- Try a group physical attractiveness test among your close friends and ask what you like about each other. By sharing positive feedback about your friends, they will be encouraged to do the same for you. E.g. Complementing your friend’s soft skin or great smile will go a long way.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself and be too self-critical. We are all different in unique and wonderful ways which we should be grateful for.
- Try not to constantly compare yourself with others. This type of thinking isn’t helpful so accepting yourself completely in key to your mental wellbeing
- Lastly, always just be yourself as everybody else is taken! Remember to always celebrate your successes in your life, however small they are.