Stronger Self-esteem When You Don't Look Your Best: Studio 5
Self-esteem comes from the inside, but sometimes what's going happening on the outside can shake your self -confidence. Therapist, Julie Hanks, has tips to survive bad hair days and beyond.
1) Bad Hair Day
Sometimes even small appearance flaws can ruin your day! A big blemish on your face, bad hair day, a skin rash can leave you feeling self-conscious.
Tip: "Unlink" self-esteem and appearance
While appearance often impacts how you feel about yourselves, it doesn't have to define you.
Tip: Remember that you are not your body
"You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body." C.S. Lewis quotes
2) After Baby Body
With every good change in life there are also accompanying losses. Body changes are the price you agree to pay for carrying and delivering a baby.
Tip: Give yourself permission to grieve the losses
Your hips may never be the same size again, the stretch marks are here to stay. Feel the sadness about the changes and then move forward.
Tip: Buy clothes that fit at current size
Don't wait until you get your pre-baby body back to present your best self. Treat your self as you would have before baby. Don't wait until you hit a magic size or number on the scale.
3) Signs Of Aging
As a society, we tend to value youthfulness, especially in women's appearance. While aging men are often though of as "distinguished", aging women are regarded as "less attractive".
Tip: Reframe aging as evidence of experience and learning
Just as a painting's looks changes depending on the frame around it, you can put a more positive and beautiful frame around how your see your physical appearance.I wrote a song about my own reframing of the aging experience called "God's Signature". Here are a few lines that help me reframe my wrinkles:These lines are signs of many lessons learnedCarved out through timeSmiles that warm and tears that burnAnd unexpected turnsTime has been my friend it seemsSo let him write on meYou can call me flawedYou can call it characterBut I choose to call these changes God's signature
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Tip: Focus on multidimensional person
You have many aspect that make you...you! Focus on developing and valuing all of them...mental, social, spiritual, emotional, and physical.
4) Overweight
One of the most common New Year's Resolutions is to lose weight and get fit. When you don't exercise as much as you'd planned or you overeat one day what do you say to yourself? Are you kind and loving, or do you tell yourself things like, "See, another year when you can't lose weight" and say belittling things to yourself?
Tip: Self-acceptance
Self-acceptance frees us to make changes. Women worry that if they accept where they are they'll stay the way they are, but the opposite is true.
Tip: Focus on improving health and self-care
No matter what your physical appearance, you can always take small steps to take good care of yourself. I love the phrase "Life rewards action" because it's true. Even taking one small step to better your health is a good thing.
5) Social mistakes
How we look in the eyes of others in terms of our behavior is another aspect that can impact self-esteem. Saying something dumb, being impatient with your child, or things as simple as realizing you've been calling someone by the same name.Tip: Own it and move onYou're self-esteem can remain in tact if your mistake, misstep, or error and then quickly moving on instead of worrying about it.Tip: It's none of my business what other's think of meIf you're worried about what other's might be thinking about your misstep it's crucial to remember that it's not your business what others think about you. You can't control their thoughts. You'll never really know what others think about you anyway, unless they are willing to tell you directly.