Your body image will not only determine your self-perception, but it can have a positive or negative impact on your mental health. Focusing on your flaws or negative feelings about your appearance will increase your risk of various mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia, and eating disorders.

To feel happier in your body and care for your mental wellbeing, you must find ways to feel more confident and proud of who you are. Keep reading for advice on how to improve your self-esteem.

Accept Yourself

You will never be happy with your appearance if you spend your life comparing yourself to others or wishing you were someone else. Self-acceptance will allow you to walk into a room with your head held high and focus on making memories instead of worrying about your flaws and insecurities. Start by talking about your face, body, and personality in a positive light, and focus on your best qualities over obsessing over your imperfections.

Practice Self Care

Self-care can work wonders for your self-esteem and mental health. A little relaxation and pampering will lower your stress levels, lift your mood, and make you feel more confident and attractive.

You can care for your mind and body in many ways, such as:

  • Eating healthy, nutritious food
  • Socializing with loved ones
  • Practicing good hygiene
  • Embracing fun hobbies or activities daily
  • Exercising regularly
  • Finding ways to lower your stress levels, such as writing to-do lists, going for a walk outdoors, or scaling back your overwhelming workload

Also, don’t rule out activities or treatments that will make you feel happier, healthier, and beautiful, which could transform your confidence. For example, you could treat yourself to a hydrafacial, skin tightening, or a laser hair removal from dermani Medspa to develop smooth, attractive skin.

Stop Using Unhelpful Social Media Sites

According to a 2016 systematic review of 20 papers, photo-based social media activities can increase users’ risk of developing a negative body image. Scrolling through Instagram images or photos of yourself could lead to pessimistic thoughts about your appearance.

Unfortunately, many social media sites reinforce beauty ideals and unhealthy beliefs, which is why you may need to distance yourself from the platforms. Instead, follow websites that promote body positivity to protect your self-esteem and mental health. Deactivating your Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter accounts might be the best thing you can do for your mental health and self-confidence.

Focus on Your Non-Physical Traits

Beauty isn’t skin deep. There is much more to you than how you look, which is why you must stop obsessing over your physical attributes and focus more of your attention on your many admirable non-physical traits, such as your:

  • Kind heart
  • Intelligence
  • Hard work ethic
  • Creativity
  • Strong communication skills
  • Fun nature
  • Great listening skills
  • Open mind
  • Ambitious personality

Remind yourself you are much more than your appearance, which will encourage you to treat your mind and body with the daily respect and kindness they deserve. It may not be easy to start with, but keep trying to remind yourself, and you should see improvements in your beliefs.

Image credit: Jackson David via unsplash

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