Start Celebrating You

It seems that every social media platform—from Instagram to Facebook—is flooded with images of beautiful people living exciting, perfect lives. The result is that on a subliminal level, these messages push the fallacy that fat is bad and thin is good and if you aren’t careful, can put a dent in our self-image. Read on to find out how to accept ourselves as we are to live a happier life.

Self-Image
Our self-image is really how we see ourselves—our concepts, ideas, and perception of who we are and how we are, tells Dr. Tara Wyne, a clinical psychologist. Self-image is basically the personal mental picture that we paint of ourselves or more simply put how we see ourselves. This would include describing words such as; pretty, smart, interesting, ugly, caring, and so on.

For Living a Happy Life
Having and maintaining a healthy self-image is extremely vital to living a happy life, as what we think of ourselves impacts how we feel about ourselves and how we respond to the things in our lives. “As soon as you’re prepared to change negative associated beliefs and shift your mind-set about your perceived self-image and body-image, the faster you will start to enjoy life and live it at its best,” she says.

    • Effective Ways to Develop a Positive Self-Image
    • Set realistic and measurable goals
    • Confront thinking distortions
    • Identify childhood labels
    • Stop comparing yourself to others
    • Be more tolerant of being imperfect, truthfully we are all flawed, it’s our acceptance of our imperfection that dictates self-image
    • Develop your strengths
    • Learn to love yourself
    • Recognize and celebrate accomplishments – keep a journal of the positives and the victories in daily life
    • Remember that you are unique and come to the universe with distinct qualities that set you apart