Importance of Being Comfortable with Your Body

You aren't comfortable with your body, so what? Everyone struggles with body image now and then. However, you must be comfortable with your body for many reasons. 

 

You Can Let Go Of Perfection

 

One of the reasons you aren't comfortable with your body is because you are obsessed with perfection. Until you realize that your body is great just the way it is, you will continue to hold onto an unrealistic idea of perfection. If you can't let go of perfection, you will constantly be striving for something unattainable, and this can lead to undue stress and more serious conditions like depression. 

 

You Will Be More Productive

 

Believe it or not, it takes a lot of time and energy to not be comfortable in your body. You probably spend hours looking in the mirror and wishing certain parts would change, or even more time searching for procedures that will "fix" you. Once you are comfortable with yourself just the way you are, you'll be able to focus on the things that matter, making you more productive in numerous aspects of your life. 

 

You Will Become More Creative

 

Constant negativity about your body (or other life aspects, for that matter) hinders your creativity. Negativity hinders your creativity because you are so focused on what is wrong, you can't open up your mind to see what you could become. Once you decide that you are truly comfortable with your body, this will help you begin a new creative journey to make what you have work for you!

 

You’ll Be Happier

 

This one is easy. Once you let go of the unattainable ideas, you will see that you are accomplishing more -and better- things in your life. These accomplishments will give you a feeling of satisfaction and achievement, which are both major components of happiness. This means that by accepting that you are amazing just the way you are, you've already unlocked the secret to happiness! 

 

Being comfortable in your own body will never be easy, but it's important that you are. When you commit to being comfortable in your body, it will help you become more productive and creative. This new level of personal comfort will make you happier in the end. When you think about it, there is no reason not to start the journey to becoming comfortable in your own body today!

 

Why Are So Many People Unhappy with Their Image?

When you look in the mirror, are you happy with what you see? If the answer is no, you aren't alone because many people, men, and women alike, are unhappy with their image. But why is this?

 

The Media

 

The number one reason people are unhappy with the image they see when they look in the mirror is because of the unattainable bodies of celebrities that are shown in the media. 

 

First of all, these photos are all edited. There isn't a single photo of a celebrity that doesn't have a filter or airbrushing on it, even if it is somewhere other than Instagram. Not only that, but many celebrities have had body-altering surgeries, which means what you are looking at isn't natural, and it isn't how they were born to look.

 

Society

 

Even if you avoid all the media hype, this doesn't mean people don't feel pressure from other people to hate their image. Family members and friends can often be the first ones to point out imperfections with your body, and it is your body image that suffers because of it. They might not even say anything, but you can see how they look, and you probably still compare yourself to them, wishing you looked more like them.

 

Poor Mental Health 

 

It isn't right to blame society and the media, however, because the way you perceive your body is uniquely yours. This means that although you may have some outside influences, only you can change your mind about how you feel about your body. If you have a poor body image, this means that your mind probably isn't where it needs to be. Yes, it's good to cut out the negative media and toxic friends and family from your life, but you also need to engage on a mental journey to find out why you can't accept yourself. Nothing will change with what you perceive until you change your mind.

 

Overall, men and women all over the world are unhappy with their image. Much of this can be attributed to media and society. However, never forget that a good body image truly starts from within. This means that if you want to have a good body image, you need to work on your mentality first. Only then can you truly change the way you feel about the person in the mirror. 

 

Why It’s Important to Love Yourself

Sometimes it can be hard to love yourself. After all, humans are created with flaws. However, loving yourself is important for many reasons. You can't expect to have a fulfilling life if you can't love yourself.

 

You Are The Only One You Will Spend The Rest Of Your Life With

 

Nothing in life is promised besides the fact that you will be spending the rest of your life with yourself. If you don't learn to love yourself, this can make the rest of your life very miserable. It is essential that you learn to love yourself because you need to love the person you will spend the rest of your life with to be happy. 

 

You Need To Focus On Your Journey

 

If you are filled with self-hate or self-disdain, this is a distraction from your goals. When you choose to focus on what you don't like about yourself, it takes up much more of your time than focusing on loving yourself. Once you resolve to love yourself, this will take up much less of your time and focus, and you will be able to put your energy towards what matters—your journey of success.

 

You Can’t Sell Yourself To Others If You Don’t Love You

 

Besides just helping you on your journey towards achieving your goals and finding happiness in your life, loving yourself is important when it comes to your relationships with others. In a professional sense, if you don't love yourself, it will be impossible to sell yourself to a company in a job interview. 

 

On a personal note, not loving yourself can easily come between you and a significant other. This is because you can't truly love someone else while you hate yourself. Therefore, if you want a successful romantic relationship, you need to learn to love yourself first. 

 

Overall, loving yourself is no easy task. It can take months or even years to learn to love what an amazing human being you are. It is worth it, though, because you will realize just how important it is to love yourself once you do. Loving who you are affects every aspect of your life, from your journey to your relationships with others. And if you want to live a long and happy life, you’ll need to learn to love the person who will be with you for the entire journey, you. 

Why You Should Accept Your “Flaws”

People always tell you that you should accept your flaws, but accepting your flaws is easier said than done. There are many reasons you should work to accept your flaws that could change your life.

 

Flaws Are A Distraction

 

When you are so focused on the parts of you that aren't perfect, this will distract you from your goals in life. Then instead of pursuing your goals, you'll be too busy thinking about your flaws. So when you accept your flaws, this gives you more time to pursue your purpose in life. 

 

You’ll Feel Lighter

 

Flaws tend you weigh you down. They sit heavy on your mind and prevent you from feeling good about yourself. Once you accept yourself just as you are, flaws and all, you will feel like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders - and this is a great feeling.

 

It Will Give You Perspective

 

Flaws aren’t all bad. For example, one of your flaws could be that you always throw yourself into an assignment too completely, which takes away from your other projects. Although this isn't a good thing, there are several ways you can make this flaw work for you. First, you need to accept the flaw so that you can gain some perspective on how you can work with it. 

 

You’ll Be Mentally Healthier

 

Thinking negative thoughts all the time isn’t good for you. And if you are focusing on your flaws, these are likely negative thoughts. Constant negative thinking like this can lead to serious issues, even depression, if you leave them unchecked. Once you accept your flaws, some negative thinking will go away, which will help you have a much happier mentality.

 

You Can Embrace Others’ Flaws

 

Now that you've accepted your flaws, the cool thing is, it will be easier to embrace others' flaws. This will improve your relationships with others just by accepting your flaws. And who doesn't want to have a better relationship with your friends, family, and significant other?

 

Overall, accepting your flaws isn't going to be an easy journey, but many aspects of your life will change for the better once you accept them. You'll not only feel better, but you'll feel lighter and be able to use your flaws to your advantage. By embracing your flaws, you can then use them to help you achieve success in life.  

 

A Fresh Look at Self-Care with 10 Practices to Get You Started

Self-care should be an integral part of anyone’s life as it is one of the key ways to better health, emotional wellbeing and stress reduction. We can take intentional steps as we practice self-care for our mind, body and spirit. 

 

Self-care isn’t just about spa days, bubble baths, or treating yourself to an occasional dessert, even though these actions are certainly a part of it. It’s about deeply understanding what you need to thrive emotionally, physically, and mentally. 

 

It’s the ongoing practice of prioritizing your wellbeing so that you can live more vibrantly and authentically. It is often said that you must give yourself permission for self-care and that is because it is an intentional and deliberate action that is ultimately the responsibility of the individual. 

 

Self-care encompasses a wide range of activities and practices, including:

 

• Physical self-care: Exercising, eating nutritious food, and ensuring you get enough rest.

• Emotional self-care: Engaging in activities that help you process your emotions, such as journaling or speaking to a therapist.

• Mental self-care: Stimulating your mind with new knowledge, reading, creative projects, or simply taking a break from work to prevent burnout.

• Spiritual self-care: Connecting with practices that give you a sense of purpose and peace, such as meditation, prayer, or spending time in nature.

Self-Care Benefits

 

• Enhances Productivity and Focus

• Reinforces Self-Worth and Self-Love

• Helps you manage stress

• Benefits emotional, mental and physical health

• In its most simple terms, it is an act of prioritizing yourself

 Breaking Down Barriers to Self-Care

 

Despite understanding its importance, many people struggle to integrate self-care into their daily lives. Common barriers include:

 

• Guilt: Many people feel guilty taking time for themselves, especially when they have responsibilities to family, work, or friends.

• Time constraints: The perception that there’s “no time” for self-care.

• Cultural norms: Societal pressures often glorify overworking and undervalue rest.

 

The first step to overcoming these barriers is reframing the way we view self-care. It’s not an optional activity for when you’ve finished everything else, it’s an integral part of being able to do everything else. Self-care should be seen as non-negotiable.

10 Self-Care Practices

1. Take the First Step Towards Self-Care

 

If self-care feels like a foreign concept or an added burden, start small. It could be as simple as dedicating 10 minutes of your day to something you enjoy. Over time, as you begin to experience the positive effects, you’ll start to see self-care not as a task but as an act of self-respect and love.

2. Nature Walks

 

Take a walk in a local park, forest, or even your backyard. Walking in nature helps to clear your mind and reconnect with the world outside. Studies show that a walk of only 20 minutes can lower stress levels and improve your mental health.

3. Mindful Morning Ritual

 

Start your day with a morning ritual that centers you. This could include five minutes of deep breathing, gentle stretching, or journaling about your intentions for the day. This practice helps you enter the day with a calm mind and sets a positive tone for whatever comes your way.

4. Take Your Pet to The Park

 

Our pets are some of our nearest and dearest friends, and spending time with them is a way to care for ourselves as well. You and your pet will benefit from the change of scenery and have a chance to forget your worries as you connect. The park can help you both get more exercise, get some air in your lungs, and meet new people and animals. 

5. Organize Your Catch-All Drawer

 

This is one of those beneficial projects you can do in tiny increments to promote peace of mind and a slow release of tension and clutter. 

 

To pick away at your most cluttered drawer in increments, you can:

 

• Get a drawer organizer.

• Look for items that should be attached to a ring, clip, lanyard, or similar item.

• Remove a few items at a time to clean, lubricate, polish, repair, or degrease them.

• Collect thumbtacks, coins, paper clips, tape, magnets, string, clips, and other small items that need a mini organizer. 

6. Stretch And Relax On Your Mat

 

Make the most of your stretching routine by researching stretching techniques that make you feel good without straining your muscles. You can do very small shoulder stretches, moderate whole-body stretches, or deeper ones you already have experience with. Take a 10-minute rest on your back after your routine for deeper relaxation. 

7. Schedule A Spa Day Or Massage

 

Whether you love facials, mud or clay treatments, deep tissue massage, or body wraps, scheduling something will help you unwind and take better care of yourself. Spur-of-the-moment experiences are always good too. 

8. Sleep An Extra Hour At Night

 

An hour more sleep has been shown to improve the health of young participants who got at least 43 more minutes per night in one study by Penn State researchers. Try eating dinner an hour earlier with food that promotes sleep, a relaxing evening routine and go to bed earlier to get that extra hour. 

9. Take A 15-Minute Nap

 

Many people would be amazed at the power of a fifteen-minute nap. According to Mayo Clinic, “Keep naps short. A 20- to 30-minute nap is ideal. Try not to snooze more than 30 minutes on a regular basis. The longer you nap, the more likely you are to feel groggy afterward. Take naps in the early afternoon. Napping after 3 p.m. can make it harder for you to sleep soundly at night. Factors such as your need for sleep, sleeping schedule, age and medicine use also can play roles in figuring out the best time of day to nap. Create a restful space. Nap in a quiet, dark place with a comfortable room temperature. Limit distractions such as TVs, computers, phones and other devices.”

10. Read A Book Or Magazine You Love

 

Few things refresh your mind, relax you and help you care for yourself like reading a book you love or a magazine that truly interests you. 

Final Thoughts

 

Self-care isn’t selfish; it’s essential. It’s the foundation that allows you to show up fully in all aspects of your life. It fuels your energy, enhances your resilience, and reinforces the belief that you deserve care.

 

By investing time and effort into your well-being, you pave the way for a richer, more fulfilling life. Embrace self-care as a gift to yourself, and watch how it transforms your mindset, relationships, and overall quality of life.

References

 

Stock, A.A., et al. (2019) Effects of sleep extension on sleep duration, sleepiness, and blood pressure in college students. Sleep Health. doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2019.10.003.

 

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20191120/Study-Just-one-extra-hour-of-sleep-can-provide-health-benefits-for-college-students.aspx

 

https://www.betterup.com/blog/self-care-practices

 

6 Ways to Add Intensity to Your Life

You know that high energy, positivity, and enthusiasm are the things that will propel you towards success, right? But how do you keep your intensity levels high day in, day out? What can you do to stay motivated and get yourself the life you want?

 

Here are 6 ways you can add intensity to your life right now. 

 

1. Choose Intensity

 

One of the most powerful things you can do is to act enthusiastically, even if you’re not feeling it. Choose to live intensely, behave as if you had that level of intensity, and before you know it your energy is high, your enthusiasm is infectious, and you’re doing it!

 

2. Make Time for Your Passion

 

It’s easy to let the days go by thinking you don’t have time to improve your running or your drawing or learn that language. But if you make the commitment to focus on your passion for just fifteen or twenty minutes a day, you’ll find your enthusiasm rising. You’ll be enjoying life intensely. 

 

3. Take Care of Yourself

 

Proper self-care is vital if you want to increase the intensity in your life. Keeping your energy and motivation high is easier if you’re eating well, making sure you get enough sleep and getting some regular exercise. 

 

Prioritize you and see how it affects your energy levels. 

 

4. Be Kind to Yourself

 

Learning to practice self-compassion is key for adding intensity to your life. Being kind to yourself means noticing how you feel, it means cutting yourself some slack and pulling back on the judging. Notice your self-talk and see if it’s sapping or building your intensity. 

 

5. Practice Meditation

 

Intensity and meditation might seem like odd bedfellows, but think about it. Research has shown that meditation and mindfulness practice help to increase brain function. Regular meditation practice, even if it’s only for ten or fifteen minutes a day, has been shown in increase grey matter in your brain. Think of the potential for those extra brain cells!

 

Meditation will also help lower your stress levels and increase your self-compassion. You’ll be more resilient, have more energy, and more enthusiasm. 

 

6. Notice the Good Things

 

Noticing and appreciating the good things in your life helps to rewire your mindset from negative to positive. If you see the good around you, you’ll come to expect that things will go well, and more good things will flow to you. 

 

Focusing on success and what is going well in your life helps to keep that intensity level high!

Give Yourself Permission For Self-Care

The practice of self-care means taking care of your physical and mental health and being aware that you must take care of yourself as the highest priority. Self-care increases stamina, reduces stress, and decreases the risk of illness, so we must treat ourselves as number one to thrive and be strong.

 

Still, we may think putting ourselves first is selfish or egotistical. Others are challenged with low self-esteem, making them feel like they don’t deserve to be first. Some people think they must do everything for everybody and will put aside their goals to assist others. These scenarios impact our self-esteem, keep us from pursuing our goals, and foster self-care neglect.

 

We must understand that if we don’t care for ourselves, we won’t be able to help anyone else, we may feel stressed, and our health suffers. When our mental or physical health is poor, we lose motivation and energy, and our quality-of-life decreases.

 

How can we treat ourselves compassionately and make self-care a part of our daily routine? 

 

About Self-Care

 

The World Health Organization explains that self-care is “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker.”

 

The National Library of Medicine published a study on the role of self-care related to stress and mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. A tool, the Self-Care Activities Screening Scale (SASS-14), was used to evaluate the study participants. Four main areas were considered:

 

• Health consciousness

• Nutrition and physical activity

• Sleep quality

• Interpersonal and intrapersonal coping strategies

 

The result of the study is that self-care significantly improves our well-being. However, the higher a person’s perceived stress level, the more challenging it is to practice self-care.

 

Self-Care Basics

 

Reduction of perceived stress is essential for self-care. The following are basic strategies to help you cope with stress and lead you to a healthy lifestyle.

 

Embrace Healthy Foods: Nutritious meals can improve your energy and brain power. Healthy foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish and seafood, nuts and seeds, beans, low-fat dairy products, and unsaturated oils, such as olive oil. Avoid fried foods, salt, sugar, fast foods, cakes and pies, and too much caffeine. 

 

Sleep Well: The Sleep Health Foundation recommends that adults aged 18-64 sleep 7 - 9 hours and adults over 64 sleep 7 – 8 hours nightly. Avoid actions that might keep you awake at night, such as caffeine in the afternoon, using electronics before bedtime, and taking long naps during the day. You can foster a good night’s sleep by exercising during the day, going to sleep and waking up at the same time daily, and ensuring that your bedroom is quiet. 

 

Every Workout Counts: Exercise helps to relieve stress and make you stronger mentally and physically. Choose an activity that you enjoy, such as a brisk walk, and strive to exercise at least 30 minutes daily.

 

Stay Connected: Among many benefits, having good friends can relieve stress and promote happiness. The Mayo Clinic reports that friends help you cope with traumas, improve self-confidence, and reduce your risk of health problems.

 

Time Management and Boundaries: The night before, create a to-do list for the next day and prioritize each item. This “roadmap” for the day will help you focus on the tasks that must be completed. Work through your goals and tasks in priority order. Also, consider setting boundaries to prevent interruptions to your plan. For example, if you block out 3 hours to focus on a task, let those who need to know that you aren’t available during that time. 

 

Conclusion

Taking care of yourself is essential to reduce stress and reap the benefits of good health and happiness. In our busy lives, we may feel we don’t have time for self-care, thus impacting our health and energy and limiting our capacity to help others. Remember that you are not being selfish by treating yourself as number one and setting boundaries is not rude. These are necessary concepts to help you cope with stress and boost your well-being.

 

References

 

https://www.who.int/health-topics/self-care#tab=tab_1

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8678542/

 

https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-topics/how-much-sleep-do-you-really-need

 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/friendships/art-20044860