Guest Contributor
4. Surround yourself with positive people
You’ve gotta be smart about the friends you keep. If you have a friend who’s always talking about how ugly she feels, making mean comments about other women’s bodies, criticizing your looks, and maxing out her credit cards on the latest diet fads, it’s normal to want to help her, but that’s something you may not be able to do.
If she doesn’t want help, and spending time with her is just making you feel worse about yourself, you need to step back from the friendship. It’s very hard to think positively when all you hear are negative messages.
5. Figure out your triggers and avoid them
We all have things that trigger negative thoughts for us. As I said above, friends with bad attitudes can trigger us. Rail-thin models in magazines are another common trigger for women. A study at the University of Liverpool showed female undergrads who looked at unrealistically thin models in magazines scored lower on body satisfaction questionnaires. But, when the female undergrads looked at plus-sized models in magazines, their body satisfaction scores went up.
Remember the experiment I dared you to do earlier? Trying it might help you figure out what triggers your negative self-talk. If you feel worse about your body after looking at fashion magazines, consider switching to magazines that feature plus-sized models, who often look way more realistic. If certain TV shows trigger negative thoughts, do yourself a favor and stop watching them.
6. Adopt good posture
Good posture makes you feel more confident and look more confident, too. As you’ve probably noticed, confident people are seen as more attractive, so this is a great habit to get into. Your ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, and ears should line up when you stand. Keep your back upright, but don’t get stiff. Just stand naturally straight; you’ll get used to it eventually.
Next>> More body confidence tips!
Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by veronica-photos
