In the 21st century, beauty standards are incredibly high. A lot of modern young women have high expectations of themselves, which are impossible to live up to. Self-shaming is a common phenomenon. You probably know the feeling where you are just sick of the size of your thighs or the angel of your nose. These problems are genuine and millions of young girls and women are struggling with similar thoughts every day.
Ideally, this should not be a problem because everybody is different, and we just need to embrace that fact. It is important to emphasize that there is no such thing as a standard set of rules for how you should look. It is not necessary to use a lot of makeup or go through cosmetic procedures to change your looks.
In this article, we have decided to make a list of things that you can do or say to yourself to increase your self-esteem. Doing so will make you feel better about yourself and your body.
Wear The Clothes You Like Not The Clothes Everyone Likes
It is really important to feel comfortable in the clothes you are wearing. To do so you should not be too influenced by other people’s opinions. You should wear clothes that make you feel good, comfortable and confident, and it doesn’t matter whether the clothes are a part of the latest fashion trends or not, as long as you like the clothes and feel comfortable wearing them.
However, we understand that sometimes this is easier said than done because we all care about other people’s opinions. Especially if you put on certain clothes and feel like everyone is looking at you in a weird way. If you spend too much time thinking about other people’s opinions when it comes to the clothes you like to wear, you can ease into experimenting with outfits.
Start wearing one piece of clothing that might be different from the norm and learn how to embrace that one piece of clothing. Once you become more comfortable wearing that one piece, you can slowly add more pieces to your outfit. Eventually, you will learn how to wear the clothes you like instead of thinking too much about what clothes everyone else likes.
Photo by Vladimir Fedotov on Unsplash
Stop Comparing Yourself To Other People On Social Media
In a world where social media platforms are becoming a bigger part of our lives, it can be difficult not to compare yourself to other people on social media.
Especially on Instagram, where people post picture-perfect images from their everyday lives. These pictures are just small glimpses of people’s lives but can give the impression that they are living a perfect life. Remember that all pictures posted on Instagram are polished images of reality.
This applies to all types of images, including pictures of bodies and beautiful models that are so easy to compare yourself to. It can be hard not to compare yourself with other people on social media that apparently look perfect, but it is important to remember that no one is perfect. We all have areas of our lives that are messy or parts of our bodies we are not totally happy about.
It is also important that you don’t let likes and comments on social media get to you or measure your own worth based on how many likes and comments you have on your pictures compared to other people. You should not care about who does and does not like your photos on Instagram nor sit and go through all the comments on your photos, looking to see if people think you are cool or not.
No, You Are Not Fat
A lot of girls have the misperception that they are fat or overweight, even though they are perfectly average or maybe even smaller than average. All bodies are different, which is why we can’t really compare ourselves to others.
Remember that you are perfect the way you are and put any effort into learning to love your body. If you don’t love your own body, then who will? You have to stop telling yourself that you are fat when you are not.
Even if you are a bit overweight, you should still embrace yourself and the way you look because there is absolutely no one who should determine how you should look besides yourself. Stop having unrealistic perceptions of how a woman is supposed to look and how much she is supposed to weigh. You are fantastic no matter how you look.
Compliment Yourself
In continuation of the above, there are some things you can do in order to learn how to embrace yourself and your body. One way is by complimenting yourself. Stand in front of your mirror and take a look at yourself and your body. Then find 3 things you like about yourself and say them out loud to yourself in the mirror.
Repeat them several times while you are still looking at yourself in the mirror. We recommend that you do this little exercise every day for a few weeks or even a month. You’ll be surprised how much better you are going to feel about yourself.
Photo by Jackie Parker on Unsplash
Don’t Listen To Society’s Expectations Of The Body
In today’s society, it can be hard not to get distraught about yourself and the way you look. Especially when there are so many expectations from different people.
Sadly, many young women wrongly believe that they should have a certain look in order to be accepted in society. However, it is important not to get caught up in society’s expectations of your body image. Who has the right to determine what other people should look like?
Absolutely no one. There is no such thing as a standard set of rules for how you are supposed to look. Everybody in this world is different, and thank god for that because it would definitely be boring to live in this world if everybody looked the same.
Photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash
Who Is The Author
Bærum Plastikkirurgi is a leading plastic surgery clinic in Norway, established in 1986. The clinic has over 30 years of experience in the fields of cosmetic and facial surgery. Clinic founder, Dr. Bunæs, is a Norwegian pioneer in modern nasal surgery and endoscopic sinus procedures.”
