It’s All in Your Head

Noelle Elsaadany touches on the most important relationship that we have is with ourselves because our perpetual self-talk has the power to affect our mental health and we have to choose if that impact will be good or bad

Social media’s boom in popularity brought with it the rise of disordered eating habits and poor body image, according to Social Media, Thin-Ideal, Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating Attitudes, a 2019 report by Dr. Pilar Aparicio-Martinez. Consuming image after image of unrealistically “beautiful” humans all day, every day has certainly impacted many people’s views of their natural selves, paving the way for many problems, leaving millions struggling with their mental health and body image. The way one views themself can affect their social life, perception of the world, and the standards they set for their own lives.

Body image, by definition, is the way a person regards their physical self. It affects how attractive one feels, their trust for their body’s abilities, and how they view their weight, body shape, hair, skin, or specific features. Many different sources can impact your body image, including the words you have heard about yourself, the portrayal of bodies in the media, how you feel about yourself as a person, and so much more. 

What we hear, say, and do with our bodies can impact our body image starting from a young age. A poor body image can harm a person’s mental health, leading to conditions such as eating disorders, depression, or anxiety. The 2018 study, Relationship between Body Image and Psychological Well-being in Patients with Morbid Obesity, found that a person’s body image significantly impacted their psychological wellbeing. As you can guess, those who had a more positive body image were more psychologically healthy than those who did not.

While poor body image can have a negative impact one’s mental health, the opposite can also be true. Another study, released in 2020, The Profiles of Body Image Associate with Changes in Depression Among Participants in Dance Movement Therapy Group, by Dr. Päivi Pylvänäinen found depression could leave people feeling worthless, guilty, and struggling with low self-esteem.

“The struggles a person with a mental health disorder faces can be accentuated when they look in the mirror. Looking in their reflection may have every perceived flaw, mistake, or downfall they see fighting for their attention at every glance. This is because, despite their actual capabilities or what they truly look like, their brains can convince them they are not pretty enough, strong enough, or good enough,” said Noelle Elsaadany.

Improving your body image is crucial to enhancing your psychological well being. Getting serious about reframing your mindset and your outlook isn’t always easy, so here are three of the best practices to get you started: 

1. Exercise

Exercise has many incredible benefits to offer, primarily if you have found yourself struggling with a poor body image. Getting some movement in can help raise your awareness of your body’s actual capabilities and improve your fitness. As far back as 1991 Body Image and Exercise: A study of Relationships and Comparisons Between Physically Active Men and Women, a study by Caroline Davis and Michael Cowles found that both young men and women had a greater body image the more they worked out. Remembering and focusing on the basic things our body does to keep us alive every second of our lives is a very humbling experience.

“Bringing back some awareness and being mindful of the core functions of the physical body helps us appreciate all the hard work that little engine of ours does. Every breath. Every movement is a magical experience on its own,” said Elsaadany.

Another more physiological reason to focus on fitness is that a specific hormone called endorphins gets released during exercise. This happy hormone paired with the awareness of your body’s capabilities and improved health may be just what you need to adjust how you perceive your body.

2. Affirmations

If you’ve ever ended up on the self-improvement side of social media, chances are, you’ve heard about affirmations. This exercise is a powerful tool for improving body image, by allowing you to feel valued and worthy. This is a view your brain is highly motivated to maintain, according to Christopher N. Cascio’s 2015 report, Self-affirmation. Affirmations activate brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward is reinforced by future orientation.

Getting started with affirmations doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply look in the mirror and prepare a list of positive things to say about your body. 

Elsaadany added, “Another variation of this exercise would be for you to focus on one to three parts of your body that you actually like and bring some awareness to those parts. Look at your fingers and how gracefully they can move. What about your eyes? Do you like their shape? Keep going until you find a couple of features that you find beautiful and focus on those for a few minutes”

3. Self-Care

How you care for your body is a huge determining factor in how you view it. Take the time to practice proper hygiene and dress and pamper yourself in a way that makes you feel good! Don’t wait to drop those imaginary pounds to buy the dress, don’t wait for an occasion to get your hair done and please don’t allow that pimple to stop you from wearing that gorgeous smile.