Struggling with loving your body?
You’ve probably heard people (myself included) talking about how once you truly love your body, your life will change. It sounds so easy, but girl, I know just how hard it is. Don’t feel bad if you are not in that place yet, or aren’t consistently feeling great about yourself - we all go through ups and downs with our bodies. It’s completely normal!
Having a good relationship with your body can be hard and uncomfortable, to say the least. It’s sad but true how often the bad things we think about ourselves are much easier to believe than the good.
What I have noticed from clients over the years, is that the hardest part is actually living up to our own expectations and not to mention, our perceived expectations from others.
One of my favorite self-love advocates is Mindy Kaling. To comments on people saying that they didn’t like her for her thinking she was great, she simply replied - “But it’s not that I think I’m so great, I just don’t hate myself. And the scary thing that I have noticed is that some people really feel uncomfortable around women who don’t hate themselves. So that’s why you need to be a bit brave.”
And the thing is she is so right. We are so used to hearing our friends and other women we know talk badly about themselves that it is now the new norm. I don’t think self-love is somewhere you magically get to overnight. I believe it is a life long lesson, that sometimes you have to work harder on, while other times it’s easier. But wherever you are in the process, don’t hate yourself. Find small things you like. Focus on those. Build up from there every day. Challenge yourself to accept compliments when they are given instead of not believing them. Challenge yourself to say ONE positive thing about yourself whenever you are in front of a mirror.
And whenever you are struggling, remember Mindy. You don’t have to be in love with yourself to not hate yourself. There is a big difference! Take small steps daily and you will be on a much better track mentally. Keep me posted on your progress, I would love to help!
xo, Annika