You’ll receive many great benefits from appreciating, respecting, and learning to love your natural body shape. Having trouble? Hypnosis can help.
I used to punish myself everyday. I’d start the day stepping on the scales and that would set the mood for my whole day. I’d feel angry and frustrated if the number on the scales went up or stayed the same. I would be cautiously optimistic if I saw a favorable number.
But it was so stressful. I felt I had to berate myself all day if there was a fluctuation. I had to be mean and strict with my words. After all, if I didn’t get myself inline, who would? I thought I had to be a food Nazi. Really crack the whip on myself that way I wouldn’t misbehave.
I see many of you doing the same and wondering why you can’t get yourself to fall inline. [clickToTweet tweet=” You begin to really dislike yourself and your body, maybe you even feel hatred. How do you feel about someone you dislike or hate? Are you ready to be kind to them or want to help them? Of course not.” quote=” You begin to really dislike yourself and your body, maybe you even feel hatred. How do you feel about someone you dislike or hate? Are you ready to be kind to them or want to help them? Of course not.” theme=”style3″]
To love yourself even if you are not perfect or have the perfect body, is a passage of acceptance that raises to a new level your belief in yourself and integrity. You can love yourself just the way you are while still working on becoming healthier and moving toward the size and shape you prefer.
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Try these strategies to increase your comfort with your body:
Appreciate everything your body can do for you.
Consider that your body can climb, run, walk, dance, sleep, laugh, dream, and myriad of other things. That’s impressive. Each night write a sentence why you love your body. You’ll soon find that you have a lot to be thankful for.
List the top 5-10 things you love about your body.
It might be your hair, eyes, skin, bellybutton, and feet. You know what parts you like. Take a few minutes to think about it or ask your friends. Remember those things you take for granted like the legs that hold you up throughout your work day, those arms that hug those your love, or the lungs that breathe in beautiful oxygen.
Acknowledge that physical beauty is only skin deep.
That applies to certain physical attributes. However, the physical beauty caused by vibrant health – from eating nutritiously and exercising – is inside and out. The beauty of your personality can also cause others to see you as a great beauty, even if you notice flaws. Allow the compliments of others and embrace them.
Keep your thoughts positive.
We all have the power to choose our thoughts. Think positive things and avoid letting the internal criticism creep in. Understand that those harsh thoughts are a habit that you can change. Push those negative thought to one side when they happen and tell yourself the opposite.
Wear clothes that make you feel good.
We all have stuff we like to wear. Go with the clothing that makes you feel like a million bucks. Maybe you think that doesn’t apply to you. You’re not a clothes horse but there are clothes that you like. You might like nice athletic shoes or tees with snarky sayings. Just go for it and feel good with what you wear.
Realize that society’s role models for the physical ideal are impractical.
Most of us could not look like a male or female fashion model regardless of how much work, time, and money we spent. It’s simply not possible. Those people are one in several million. It would be like the average person trying to play center in the NBA. So don’t use those people as your measuring stick.
Think about the most impressive people throughout history.
Ask yourself how much their body or appearance mattered to their success. Do you think it mattered at all? The most important accomplishments in history were not accomplished with beauty or brawn. Remember that you are a brain and a body. Use both. Hypnosis ties into the mind/body connection to allow the changes you’ve been hoping for.
Ask yourself how you’re benefiting from disliking your body.
Is it making you shy, miserable, or less effective? Is it keeping you from being able to focus on creating the fulfilling life you desire? Chances are, all the results of your disdain are negative. This realization can help put you back on the road to thinking more positively about yourself. Let go of the benefits of disliking yourself.
List 5 reasons why it is silly to believe that the more slender or attractive are happier.
You can certainly think of 5 without too much effort. Every group of people has members that are unhappy. That includes the beautiful people, the rich people and the famous people. You can’t run away from your problems because when you run, you are still you.
Exercise because it feels good.
Don’t exercise with the idea of losing weight. Celebrate what your body can do! Enjoy moving your body and lifting your mood by naturally releasing your endorphins with exercise. Watch your shape change and strengthen.
Making a Positive Body Image for Yourself Changes Your Life Outlook
Take some time to implement these tips to help you enjoy and appreciate your body more. It’s important to keep the whole issue in perspective. Focus on the positives and avoid negative thoughts about your body. Think about all the incredible things that your body does for you each and every day.
Once you’re able to stop focusing on whether or not your body looks “perfect,” you can move forward with things that are most important to you, like creating the life you desire in the here and now (not “someday when you look different”). Your happiness isn’t reliant on body shape. Focus on your best qualities and see your life shine!
About the Author Angie J. Hernandez, C.Ht.
A graduate of the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, Angie J. Hernandez, C.Ht., has her private practice in Milford, Indiana. She is certified in hypnotherapy by the Hypnotherapist's Union Local 472. Angie is the author of "Weight Loss Epiphany: The Workbook", "Charlie's Cuddly Animals for Little Geniuses" and "Weight Loss Hypnosis: Lose Weight with Hypnosis Scripts & Recordings". You can find out more about Angie and how to schedule private sessions by calling (574) 658-4686.
