How To Stop Body Image Issues Controlling Your Self Esteem

*This is a collaborative post 

Self-esteem is an issue that affects most, if not all of us from time to time. For sure, there are some people, and some groups that it touches more than others – for example, anyone who is in the glare of expectation will often struggle more than someone in a less scrutinised group. That is why, for example, girls in their teens are more likely to develop eating disorders than anyone else (although it’s undeniably true that they’re not the only ones who do).

While it’s essential to find a way to be comfortable with yourself, that’s not the same as saying that it is easy. We all face a battle every day to be okay with the person we see in the mirror, and when even supermodels are known to have issues with body image, that battle can seem nearly impossible for a girl sitting alone in her bedroom. That’s why it’s important to have the right mindset when it comes to the body issues we have, and to know how we can deal with them – because in the fullness of time, low self-esteem and negative body image can become a vicious circle.

If you don’t like the way you look…

Growing up is tough, and although we develop in our own time and our own way, life can happen to us while we’re developing. This may affect something as simple as your smile – if you’ve had dental issues as a kid, this can be carried into adulthood. When you’re afraid to smile, you’re less likely to smile, and that in itself can affect how we look. If you have issues with your teeth, there are things you can do: treatments like whitening, implants, and filing can resolve the physical issue, allowing us more room to improve on the emotional issues it has caused. The same is true of other physical issues – they don’t define us as people, but if we want to improve them, we can.

Working on the emotional side…

A message of body positivity is no bad thing – it’s certainly better than the opposite! – but it is also important to be realistic. It’s one thing to hear pop stars and models talk about their body image issues and how they stay positive, but it’s fair to say that for those of us without millions of Instagram followers, affirmations can be harder to come by – so we have to come up with our own.

It’s true that positivity can be hard to find, but if you keep in mind that everyone has insecurities and the strongest thing you can do is not use other people’s to tear them down. Negativity about others turns into negativity about yourself all too easily – and that’s a bad road to go down.

Always be ready to accept help

The most important thing for anyone dealing with negative body image to remember is that although you’ll never run short of people ready to say an unkind word, those aren’t the only people out there. There are also plenty who will speak highly of you, and these are the people to listen to and surround yourself with. These are also the people who will be there to help when you really need it – because even positive progress is never a completely straight road – and they’re worth their weight in gold!