Operation Self-Love: What's Stopping You?

When was the last time you looked at the mirror and loved the person who was looking back at you?

If you can’t remember, you’re unfortunately one of many who have fallen out of love with themselves. A lot of people go through life while being their own worst enemy. Whether you dislike the shape of your nose or you find your arms wobble too much when you move, there’s one thing you need to understand before you decide to change your appearance. If you don’t love yourself already, you can’t make any positive change to your body. So what stands between you and self-appreciation?

Everybody has body issues
If you’re the kind of person who worries a lot about what people think about you, you need to understand that body issues are universal. Many others like you feel that they can’t be loved because of their bodies. The truth is that the media have built an unachievable body image for women. You need to step out of the media projection of womanhood and learn to manage your issues effectively. Healthy eating may not give you the XS shape you’re dreaming of, but it’s the best thing you can do for your body. Your journey to acceptation begins with taking care of yourself.

Define the fashion style that suits you
One of the most critical steps in learning to love your body is to accept that your body has a shape that is specific to you. Looking good – and feeling good – is about dressing this shape appropriately. And yes, this might mean that you can’t go out wearing a mini skin-tight bodycon dress with cut-outs. But, maybe one of these Chesca dresses could better highlight your positive features and hide everything you don’t want people to know about? Ultimately, you need to respect your shape and rock it fashionably!

Stop comparing yourself to others
Does that girl look better than me? Is she slimmer? Is her hair longer?
If this sounds like a familiar inner debate everywhere you go, it’s time to stop. Comparing yourself to others is associated with lower self-esteem, high body shame, and poor mental health. Unfortunately, social media platforms send a constant stream of better-than-youness images. Therapists agree that limiting your use of social media and taking back control of your thoughts can lead to positive changes. Envy is a negative and harmful emotion. Instead, you should focus on what you have so that you’re less tempted to compare.

You need to put yourself first
One of the main reasons why most people suffer from self-doubts and poor body image is because they have nobody to remind them they’re beautiful. But, you can’t just wait for the perfect partner to turn up and teach you self-love. You need to improve your self-esteem first if you want to meet someone new who can tell you everything you need to hear. Ultimately, people with self-esteem issues tend to feel less deserving of love and happiness, and consequently more likely to tolerate abusive relationships.

In conclusion, self-love takes time and effort, but it’s a journey that is worth making. You need to make peace with yourself before you can engage positively with the people around you.

*collaborative post*