Why Learning To Love Your Body Is So Important

People are more dissatisfied with their bodies than ever before. They stare at themselves in the mirror wondering what went wrong.

The interesting thing about this is that it doesn’t seem to matter what the person looks like to begin with. They can be svelte and have beautiful skin, but that isn’t enough to improve their opinion of themselves. Regardless of how they look, they still aren’t perfect.

The issues here are complex. But it mainly has to do with the expectations that we place on ourselves. We expect our bodies to look the same as filtered TikTok influencers and airbrushed beauties in magazines. We don’t realise that those sorts of standards are simply impossible to achieve in real life.

Unfortunately, failing to love the way we look already is taking its toll on our collective wellbeing. Constantly being worried about the way you look reduces your capacity to thrive in life, and constantly preoccupies the mind. It’s a major drag on your capacity to do the things you want to do in life.

Where Does Your Focus Lie?

The trick here is to improve the way you think about your body. And it is a surprisingly easy process.

The first step is to avoid all the reminders that you don’t look perfect. Don’t spend hours scrolling through Instagram, looking at influencers and their pictures. Avoid leafing through fashion magazines. And don’t follow Hollywood stars who have literally millions to spend on improving their looks in every possible way imaginable.

Next, focus on something beautiful about you already. Perhaps your teeth are white because you recently used a teeth whitening kit or maybe you have a nice butt. Whatever it is, gravitate to the good things so that you can stop focusing so much on the bad. Train your brain to appreciate and be grateful for what you have, instead of how your body doesn’t quite match up to stylized images on the internet.

Find Out Where Your Dissatisfaction Lies

You can also be more specific about where your dissatisfaction lies. Is it a problem that you have with yourself, per se, or does the issue lies with a friend’s opinion of how you look? If it’s the latter, you may not have a self-imposed body image issue at all. It could just be the result of what other people think of you.

Another tactic involves focusing on function, not form. The idea here is to forget about what you look like and concentrate instead of what your body can do. The more functional it is, the more you can achieve in the real world.

You’ll find that once you go down the functional route, the way your body looks will change anyway. All of a sudden, you’ll become slimmer and more muscular, particularly if you maintain your focus for longer. Having a functional outlook stops you from constantly worrying about each line and curve. And it helps you develop a sense of pride and confidence with your body that beauty alone can never bring.

In summary, learning to love your body is critical because it enhances the rest of your life.