Tips for overcoming body insecurities

Topics mentioned: body image, self-esteem, self-care

About: "Body insecurity is a feeling that comes in waves. There are days when I’ve felt semi-comfortable with how I look, and there are days when I’ve felt that nothing looks right on my body." Lily shares her tips for overcoming body insecurities.

When it comes to body insecurity, it can range from insecurity over our thighs and belly, to our face, arms, or other parts of ourselves. Growing up, I have always been insecure about my face – specifically, my acne.

Since undergoing my studies and with the fluctuating seasons, my face has been going through multiple breakouts and my lips were chapped on and off.

Body insecurity is a feeling that comes in waves. There are days when I’ve felt semi-comfortable with how I look, and there are days when I’ve felt that nothing looks right on my body or nothing is blending right on my face.

These are some of my personal tips on dealing with body insecurity:

Understandably, we are our own biggest critic. We know ourselves best, and it’s easy to nit-pick at everything that we do. Therapist Kati Morton advises that starting your day right can contribute to a world of difference.

So, I have been pasting positive affirmations around my workspace and letting sunlight in from the windows. These steps may seem minor, a less cluttered workspace and cheesy affirmations? But these little things do help, as the more you allow yourself to be surrounded by a positive environment, the less entrenched you feel in your struggles.

Over the years, I have written more openly about my insecurities and the importance of mental health awareness. I discovered that the more open I was in sharing my struggles, the deeper I connected with people in my life, even those who I had not known were struggling similarly.

Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable, because there are so many others out there who could not only could relate to you, but may also be wishing that they had someone who could understand and not judge what they are going through. Vulnerability is not weakness, but rather, a strength!

Sometimes when I feel stuck in a rut, I choose to walk out of my room for a short while. Whether it being walking the streets, to the store to get snacks, to meet a friend, or listening to music.

Just getting out of your head both physically and mentally from what you are doing does help. I often feel calmer or more relaxed once I return, and I am able to re-direct my focus back to my tasks.

“You are what you eat” is a cliché for a reason. I monitored the difference between a week where I was stress-eating on nothing but fast food and sugar, and a week where I ate balanced meals in mindful portions. Although I was fully awake when I needed to be during the week I had fast food, I had crashed so hard when I slept.

In comparison to the week I had a balanced diet, although I did sleep earlier, I did not feel as lethargic throughout the day. Be more mindful of how you treat your body, because how you are physically, does affect you mentally!

Above all, be patient. Change, recovery, and healing – these will take time. Set goals, but don’t set unrealistic ones: you are not racing against anyone else other than the person that you were.

Always remember that you are more than your struggles, and everyone is rooting for you on your journey to become the best version of you!