I Hate My Body! How Can I Learn To Accept Myself?

Last updated by Katie M.

Even the most seemingly confident people often have love hate relationships with their bodies, so imagine how tough it is for people who despise their looks... Give us a magic wand, and we'd no doubt all make some changes to our appearance. Some would go for bigger boobs, or a flatter stomach, whereas others would opt for a thinner nose. The reality of the situation is that wishing you looked different won't change anything and will only further impact our self-esteem. To change how we feel about ourselves, we must learn to love and appreciate what we are and what we have.

Contents:

Loving your body starts with the mirror test

Let’s be honest with ourselves, we are our own worst critics and many of us can't resist pointing out our flaws. How many times have we been in front of the mirror, examining our insecurities? Those couple of stretch marks, our cellulite, our bulky behinds, those saggy boobs or those wrinkle on our foreheads. It’s not difficult to do, we either attempt to hide these imperfections, usually quite skillfully, and try to forget about them all until the next time we’re in front of a mirror, or we think about it again and again to the point that a slight imperfection becomes an obsession.

Be kinder to yourself

Imperfections can have a real negative impact on our life. Yes, thinking positively about your body isn’t that easy for everyone. Having a bad self-image can cause psychological and physical damage which leads to a whole list of issues, including loss of self-confidence, an unhealthy shyness, a permanent feeling of worthlessness, anorexia, depression, addiction… The list of bad things we can inflict on ourselves is long and a tad demoralizing. So, the time has come to drop your weapons and make peace with yourself!

>>> Discover why going topless feels so good.

5 Tips on how you can begin to like and appreciate your body

1. Accept yourself for who you are and don't compare yourself

Guess what: you are unique! Indeed, no human being is like you, so wanting to look like Emily Ratajkowski or Kylie Jenner at all costs is just a waste of time. So, why do we do it? We always tend to forget, but our body is not a sexual object. Many of us go out of our way to meet a sexual norm. And the less we are able to achieve this, despite our efforts, the more we consider ourselves worthless and the more we hate ourselves. Accepting our uniqueness means accepting our body as it is, not because we can’t change it, but because we want to look like ourselves and no one else!

2. Sort through your wardrobe

There is a tendency towards minimalism, and that’s so much better. The more items we accumulate, the more we fill our mind with unhelpful thoughts and, believe it or not, that has an impact on our body. For starters, let’s get rid of clothes that don’t fit us anymore. Rather than trying over and over again to fit into the same jeans that don’t do anything for us, let’s give them away. The same goes for the thousands of face creams and eye shadows or tubes of lipstick. Let’s now focus on the things that really suit us, that make our skin look good, that make us look beautiful, that are made for us. Because what can be more demoralizing than, day after day, lugging around with us a breast support that crushes our chest or a cream which doesn’t really help our skin problem?

>>> Take a look at The 6 Effects Stress Has On My Skin

3. Take care of yourself

Making peace with your body also means reconnecting with it, by caring for it. Eating healthier, doing a bit of sport, putting on a facial mask, getting a haircut, getting a tattoo… To make peace with your body, you have to be kind to yourself and your body whilst trying not to neglect yourself as best you can. You then re-establish a physical relationship with your body.

learn to love your body

The best thing of all is that by loving your body, you can also learn how to be, and stay, yourself.

4. Stop being self-centered

It’s impossible to trust ourselves if we don’t turn to others. Instead of becoming withdrawn by asking ourselves what others might think of us, how about we start, for example, taking an interest in what others are doing with their lives. You’ll soon see that during these conversations you will forget about your red blotches, your bulges, your spots…

>>> Find out why you constantly need attention.

5. Be grateful for what you have and what you are

It might seem stupid, but after experiencing hardship, binge-drinking, giving birth, sometimes overcoming illness, we could maybe thank our body. Saying thank you to it means being kind and gentle, and is the start of a reconciliation process. It’s a way of creating a positive feeling about our body. Of course, we don’t need to thank our body every morning, because sometimes, you just won’t want to. But occasionally you should set aside a time to show, thanks. It will be good for you!

Editor’s advice – Stop focusing on perfectionism

Always demanding more and never being satisfied is exactly what perfectionism is. It’s also a great way to never make any progress, to never change your behavior and, in this case, to never succeed in making peace with yourself.
Whilst it’s impossible to meet the high standards we set ourselves, that doesn’t mean you should let yourself go and then see what happens. No, it means you should accept yourself as you are, be kind and do what you have to in order to change what you have the power to change.


🤗 Understand yourself, accept yourself, be happy... Let’s do it here and now!

#BornToBeMe


These articles might also interest you:

Article presented by Katie M.

Discover the world through my eyes.

Read our latest articles here:

Between Bliss And Suffering: Who Is The Child-Like Woman?

But who is she really? The child-like woman. It’s all in the name, but not quite fully, either. Admittedly, the child-like woman has become an adult, because we all go through that, but she hasn’t “grown up”. So she juggles all her facets: cute and sexy, fresh and annoying. The child-like woman is above all a subject of fantasy, for better or for worse. Let’s explain.

6 Examples Of Moving Farewell Letters, It’s Time To Open Your Heart

"Love stories usually end badly." As you know as well as Les Rita Mitsoukos, love isn’t a direct path to eternity. Sometimes it disappears from our hearts, leaving a great emptiness, if not fierce hatred. That’s when it’s time to say goodbye, and a letter can sometimes be the most effective way of saying exactly how you feel and explaining why you’re leaving. Here are 6 examples of farewell letters, to say goodbye, ciao, or bye-bye to a loved one, but also to a friend or, more sadly, to a loved one who has died.

How Do You Know A Narcissist Is Cheating?

Narcissism is wholly incompatible with healthy relationships, which goes some way in explaining why people with this personality disorder always believe the grass is greener elsewhere. Indeed, fidelity isn’t something they excel in and adds to their exhaustive list of weaknesses alongside their love of manipulation and dishonesty. However, they are so cunning and crafty that catching them out and confirming your intuitions is no easy feat. To make things easier for you, here are the 10 signs you need to look out for if you believe your narcissistic man is cheating on you.

6 Reasons Why Narcissists Never Apologize - They Hate Saying Sorry

I’ll be the first to admit that my stubbornness means I’m not exactly the most willing person when it comes to uttering the words ‘I’m sorry’, but I always push through my pride; although unfortunately, the same can’t be said for narcissists... Indeed, people who suffer from this personality disorder will simply never hold their hands up and accept responsibility for their actions, despite how deeply they’ve hurt your feelings. You know the idiom getting blood from a stone, right? Well, when it comes to apologies from these toxic personalities, nothing is more appropriate, and here are 6 reasons why!

Do Narcissists Always Come Back?

You're probably thinking that once a narcissist has upped sticks and fled, he'll never dare to show his face again, however, quite the opposite is true. The reality is that these folks are like bad smells, there's no getting rid of them quickly, therefore regardless of all the pain, hurt, and trauma they've put their victims through, they'll always make a comeback, just to prove that they are still in control. In fact, no matter how much time has passed, these torturous monsters will always eventually rear their ugly heads, just to get in that one last vicious blow. Discover which 10 circumstances they'll decide to show up in their exes' lives.

How Does A Narcissist React When They Can’t Control You?

You probably know by now that narcissists only ever look for one thing and one thing only; and that’s control! Whether in their personal or professional life, folks with this personality disorder need to be in the driving seat and the one calling the shots, otherwise all hell breaks loose. Although their cunning and manipulative nature means they are often hard to escape, it is still possible to turn the tables on them and take the upper hand. Yet, you’ll need a thick skin to do so because when they feel their power slipping away, they become even more dangerous and abusive; here’s how they react when that happens.

10 Signs The Narcissist Discarding Phase Has Been Activated

The most important thing to understand when dealing with a narcissist is that their reign of terror won't last forever. Now, whilst their torment underway, it will no doubt be one of the most harrowing things you can mentally go through. However, when the abuser decides they've had enough of you, they'll halt their horrific abuse in a heartbeat and look for someone else. People with narcissistic personality disorders are constantly on the lookout for new prey and when they find someone who fills their criteria, they'll move into the discarding phase of their plan. After all, they aren't very eco-friendly, their motto is out with the old, in with the new!

What Does A Narcissist Hate?

Narcissists are experts in the field of duping and manipulating their victims, yes, that’s right they are true chameleons, which explains why many of them often go undetected. Their behavior is definitely dangerous and means we definitely need to figure out what makes them tick and, in this particular case, what they hate. Understanding what these entitled personalities dislike is one of the keys to best exposing them and freeing their victims from their grip. Now, we all get angry for one reason or another, but people with this personality disorder have different triggers related to the things they despise.

10 Reasons Why Your Ex Slept With Someone Else After Your Breakup

We are all unique individuals, and we, therefore, go about handling breakups and the other obstacles life throws our way, differently. Now, when it comes to breakups, there are those of us that almost become celibate and decide that they can't stand the idea of getting to know anyone ever again. Then, on the other hand, there are those that fill their phones with dating apps and jump from one one-night stand to the next. This second scenario may seem harmless, but once we dig a little deeper into the repercussions of it, we soon realize that sleeping with other people so freshly out of a relationship masks troubling sentiments of unhappiness and uneasiness.

Can A Narcissist Be Faithful?

Narcissists often get bad press, and although many of us try to see the best in most people, in their case, it can be extremely difficult to find. The truth is, folks with this personality disorder don’t exactly have many redeeming qualities that could potentially help to excuse and explain their borderline evil behavior. Plus, when it comes to love, their lack of empathy means they have next to no loyalty, which means many of them often end up cheating on their partners. Ladies, if you are in a relationship with a narcissist, the alarm bells ought to be truly deafening.

Wengood's favorite tunes 🎵

Wengood's playlist

wengood

  1. Only LoveBen Howard
    4:08
  2. Let It BE - Beatles Awaken2Now (See Thru Oppositional 2’s)
    3:54
  3. Fix YouColdplay
    4:55
  4. Beautiful DayU2
    4:08
  5. Thinking out LoudEd Sheeran
    4:41
  6. White FlagDido
    4:00
  7. Lay Me DownSam Smith
    4:13
  8. Nine Million BicyclesKatie Melua
    3:17
  9. Put Your Records OnCorinne Bailey Rae
    3:35
  10. Summertime SadnessLana Del Rey
    4:24
  11. Imagine - Remastered 2010John Lennon
    3:07
  12. Shake It OutFlorence + The Machine
    4:37
  13. Space Oddity - Love You Til Tuesday versionDavid Bowie
    3:46
  14. What A Wonderful WorldLouis Armstrong
    2:19
  15. With Or Without YouU2
    4:56
  16. HelloAdele
    4:55
  17. Don't Stop Me NowQueen
    3:29
  18. Skinny LoveBirdy
    3:21
  19. WingsBirdy
    4:12
  20. Californian SoilLondon Grammar
    3:41


"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." 

- Oscar Wilde


How to detect a narcissist

How to detect a narcissist

How to soothe an anxiety attack

How to soothe an anxiety attack