Body image – how we think and feel about our bodies

The theme of Mental Health Awareness Week this year was ‘Body image – how we think and feel about our bodies’. An interesting one indeed and probably one that women struggle with the most. Regardless of our body size and shape, I think we have all experienced times of doubt or struggle – ‘am I too tall / too short / too big / too small / too young / too old?’. Whilst I think being unsure about something is a normal feature of being human and can be a healthy tool to improve our skills and grow as a person, being unkind towards ourselves is never healthy.

Sure enough there are times in life when we don’t feel great about the way we look in our bodies but instead of telling ourselves how bad it all is and come up with unrealistic goals and plans, I think the best approach is to talk about it openly and honestly with someone we trust. On a bad day, I try to be extra kind with myself and use affirmations to help boost my morale and self-worth. There are many techniques and resources out there but sometimes seeking help from someone who is qualified to help might be the best way to go about it.

So if you struggle, don’t do so in silence, try to reach out to someone you trust. As with everything, just taking the first step might make all the difference.