{"id":7509,"date":"2011-07-12T07:30:35","date_gmt":"2011-07-12T14:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145696.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=7509"},"modified":"2011-07-12T07:30:35","modified_gmt":"2011-07-12T14:30:35","slug":"10-secrets-to-body-confidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/articles\/10-secrets-to-body-confidence\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Secrets to Body Confidence"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Daniela Baker<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"woman<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Do you wish you could change the way you look? Well, you\u2019re not alone. According to the California Department of Public Health, a recent study reported that 43% of men and 56% of women disliked their appearance. We could spend all day talking about why, but what will really help us is figuring out how to fix these negative attitudes?<\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to focus a little more on women in this article, since the numbers show ladies are harder on their looks than men. But don\u2019t worry, all our tips apply to guys, too. Read on for 10 tips on learning to love your body!<\/p>\n

1. Stop the negative self-talk<\/h3>\n

In a study designed by psychologist Ann Kearney-Cooke and carried out by Glamour magazine, young women across the U.S. were asked to note each negative thought about their bodies they had over the course of a day. The results showed 97% had at least one negative thought about their bodies. Many women admitted telling themselves they hated their body parts, thinking they were fat, calling themselves sexually undesirable, feeling disgusting, and more!<\/p>\n

Girls, let\u2019s try this experiment ourselves. Tomorrow, I dare you to carry around a small notepad and write down every mean thing you say to yourself about your body.<\/strong> You might be surprised at just how often you tear yourself down.<\/p>\n

Then, I double dare you to replace every bad thought that goes through your head with a positive one.<\/strong> For example, if you find yourself thinking \u201cI can\u2019t stand my ugly arms,\u201d replace that thought with, \u201cmy arms allow me to hug my family and friends, and I\u2019m thankful for them.\u201d Yeah, it may seem corny, but it\u2019s the first step to making a habit of thinking positively.<\/p>\n

2. Say nice things to yourself<\/h3>\n

It helps to replace mean thoughts with nice ones, but you should also go out of your way to complement yourself. The next time you pass by a mirror, think to yourself, \u201cI\u2019m beautiful.\u201d Focus on what you like about your appearance\u2014you know there are at least a few things!<\/p>\n

3. Say nice things to others, too.<\/h3>\n

Saying something mean about the way another person looks won\u2019t make you feel better about yourself. Again, that\u2019s because negative thoughts tend to lead to more negative thoughts. Really, criticizing another girl\u2019s body isn\u2019t that different from criticizing your own. It\u2019s still putting an unfair emphasis on how someone looks, right?<\/p>\n

Instead, complement the people in your life. It will not only make them feel better, but keep you thinking positively about how everyday women and men look.<\/p>\n

Next>> More body confidence tips<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by charles_chan<\/a><\/em>
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\"smile\"<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Surround yourself with positive people<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ve gotta be smart about the friends you keep. If you have a friend who\u2019s always talking about how ugly she feels, making mean comments about other women\u2019s bodies, criticizing your looks, and maxing out her credit cards<\/a> on the latest diet fads, it\u2019s normal to want to help her, but that\u2019s something you may not be able to do.
\nIf she doesn\u2019t want help, and spending time with her is just making you feel worse about yourself, you need to step back from the friendship. It\u2019s very hard to think positively when all you hear are negative messages.<\/p>\n

5. Figure out your triggers and avoid them<\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

6. Adopt good posture<\/h3>\n

Good posture makes you feel more confident and look more confident, too. As you\u2019ve 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\u2019t get stiff. Just stand naturally straight; you\u2019ll get used to it eventually.<\/p>\n

Next>> More body confidence tips<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by veronica-photos<\/a><\/em>
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\"sunset<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Exercise in ways you enjoy<\/h3>\n

Exercise<\/a> can help people of all sizes look and feel their best. Working out releases endorphins, which are chemicals that boost your mood. Instead of seeing exercising as just a way to lose weight, focus on what makes exercising feel good for you. Do you feel proud of yourself after hitting a big milestone? Is it fun for you to go to the gym with your friends? Or do you just like looking around your neighborhood when you go for a walk?<\/p>\n

If you make working out a fun part of your life and not just a chore, you can use it to boost your confidence without obsessing over how many calories you\u2019re burning.<\/p>\n

8. Try posing as a model for an art class<\/h3>\n

This has personally helped me. When I was 18, I felt insecure about my appearance and often hid behind layers of thick make-up. One day, when I was 19, a friend of the family invited me to pose for his art class. I was fully clothed, and in front of just a few students, but I was still anxious. For over an hour, I sat still while listening to the teacher and everyone else comment on my face.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d said the teacher, looking at a student\u2019s drawing, \u201cher nose is much longer than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t draw her chin right,\u201d said one of the students, \u201cit\u2019s kind of sunken in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis girl\u2019s pretty unusual looking,\u201d said another student.<\/p>\n

I felt so embarrassed! But, at the end of the session, everyone showed me what they drew. The teacher\u2019s drawing really was beautiful. I loved the way everyone\u2019s drawings looked. Later, the teacher displayed his drawing in public, and I saw many people admiring it. This sparked a change in my self-esteem<\/a>. I very slowly started cutting down on the amount of make-up I wore and reducing my negative self-talk.<\/p>\n

Sometimes we need to see ourselves through other people\u2019s eyes to find out what we really look like. So, even though it\u2019s scary, I recommend posing for local art classes. At the very least, you\u2019ll make some money!<\/p>\n

9. Be confident \u2014or fake it \u2018till you make it<\/h3>\n

As I said before, confidence is hot. But, if you don\u2019t feel good about yourself, how can you be confident? One way is to kick start the cycle by choosing to act confident.<\/p>\n

Smile<\/a>, laugh, make eye contact, and act as if you did feel sexy. Once you pick up the habit, it\u2019ll become easier to keep it up. Again, acting confident will make other people see you as more attractive, which will make it easier for you to keep acting confident!<\/p>\n

10. Don\u2019t be afraid to ask for help<\/h3>\n

Sometimes, self-help isn\u2019t enough. For people with eating disorders, like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, or other disorders affecting self-image, such as body dismorphic disorder, psychological help is often needed to battle their problems.<\/p>\n

Anorexics often heavily cut back on the amount of food they eat. Bulimics go through binging cycles, in which they eat large amounts of food, and purging cycles, in which they put themselves through severe diets, extreme exercising, laxative abuse, or diuretic abuse. People with binge eating disorder go through episodes of overeating and feel helpless to control themselves. Although body dismorphic disorder isn\u2019t an eating disorder, it also comes with serious self-image problems. People with this illness become so obsessed with an imaginary physical flaw that it can affect everything they do.<\/p>\n

These disorders can strike women and men. If you have symptoms of one of these conditions that won\u2019t go away after you try making lifestyle changes, and the symptoms are serious enough to stop you from living a healthy life, talk to your doctor. There are treatments that can help you.<\/p>\n

In most cases, you can improve your body image by thinking positively, avoiding people or things that trigger you, making healthy lifestyle changes, and just practicing being confident. The key is to put yourself in the driver\u2019s seat by focusing on things you can control. There are many things you can\u2019t change about how you look, but there are many more things you can change about your environment, behavior, and attitude.<\/p>\n

Daniela Baker is a social media advocate helping families find the secrets to the best credit card for rewards<\/a> at CreditDonkey.\u00a0 She is also an eco-conscious mom and hopes today will be the day you decide to make a positive change in your life. You deserve it.<\/em><\/p>\n

Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by akalat<\/a>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you wish you could change the way you look? Well, you\u2019re not alone. According to the California Department of Public Health, a recent study reported that 43% of men and 56% of women disliked their appearance. We could spend all day talking about why, but what will really help us is figuring out how to fix these negative attitudes? More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":6376,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[661,15,5082],"tags":[22,5707,5708,2510,37,5116],"apple_news_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/jumping.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7509"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7509"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7509\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}