Self Esteem Tips: Dealing with Body Image Issues

It's all too easy to buy into the belief that your body is just not good enough. It's too easy to feel inadequate, like you need to constantly change who you are and what you look like to fit an ideal of beauty.

Today on Wellcast, we're going to be talking about body image. Sometimes, we get so focused on the parts of our bodies we wish we could change that we forget to recognize how amazing we are. Here, we offer five suggestions to help you quiet unhealthy, negative thoughts about your shape and size, and boost your self esteem.

Check out some other awesome episodes of WellCast:

Want a package deal? Check out our playlists!

ABOUT WELLCAST:

In this twice-a-week show, we explore the physical, mental and emotional paths to wellness. With an emphasis on education, the show addresses both the latest trends and long-standing practices of wellness—everything from the efficacy of the gratitude experiment to the importance of sunshine and vitamin D. Follow along as your host, Kate, guides you through a bi-weekly journaling exercises that helps you apply what you've learned. The ultimate goal: one year, one show, one journal, one collective journey to wellness.

[ShyGal_Lilly]

One thing I learned from TETRIS is that the more you fit in, the more you'll disappear.
Stay unique people!

[Sophie-pglg]

I used to hate my body image but i can now say I'm happy about it. There's still room for improvement but it will happen in time.

[omootaku]

ugh the worst part about body image obssesion is when you have a crush ╥﹏╥

[thedonner]

I have struggled with my body shape and flaws since a young age, since I hit puberty around 8.
I was quite the chubby girl, hairy and tall. I was picked on because of it and that ended up affecting my personality.

I slowly changed my lifestyle into a *healthier* one.

I began playing voleyball a few days a week.

I got slimmer with time, got to deal with hairyness and turned out to be one of the shortest in my classroom. As my body grew stronger, so did my mind. Now i have a very average weight and a healthy and beautiful body. It's not perfect, but its mine.

Everything changes. For the better. =]

[viviana]

Wow, 10 minutes ago I was suicidal and now I'm more confident than ever! I learnt so much, although I'm still upset because I lost my best friend, but I was complaining about my body but now, I might be curvy and have those stretchmarks on my body but sometimes I look in the mirror and I'm like "Damn, I look good!"
Thank you❤

[FlashySenap]

I guess it's easier said than done since our society values one bodytype above all the others.

[jS-vpgp]

im 5' 5" and i weigh 140 lbs. and im starting to get body image issues because my mom calls me names and she teases me about my weight just because she is skinny--now, she used to be like 300 lbs but anyway this video really helped!

[eviewildfire]

People call me stupid for thinking I'm pretty. They think I'm full of myself, so I rarely look in the mirror around other people. But when I'm alone I smile and talk to myself like a loner. I have the total opposite effect, cause I don't think little of myself, I think of myself as a generally attractive person. But people call it wrong to think of yourself that way. UGH!

[spreadloveandpb]

You know what's frustrating? People think I'm fat, but I'm actually not really that much bigger than everyone else. I literally have a wider rib cage and hips than others. I don't even have much fat covering my rib cage. People just think I'm fat but it's just my bones! I am also short so that gives the impression that I am short and stubby. :(

[_Kyamii_]

Damn it! According to genetics I'm really gonna be chubby:( ugh I hate when people say " be happy with your body shape" when they don't understand. ( unless they are fat too )

[jaypeg]

Is it just me or when you tell someone they're beautiful, they say, "I know I am!" you suddenly regret complimenting them. I mean, everyone says self confidence is a good thing, but I feel it just makes you seem very selfish..

[gailfattori]

I am still a recovering anorexic, more than twenty years later. I continue to struggle with eating... It is awful. I hope all young people will one day get the message that you are right to teach. Great work. I believe in your efforts.

[rin]

This video almost only talks about the shape and size of your body... Can there please be a video like this but focused on pimples?

[Nainglin]

I feel like most of these videos were made for me.

[staticheart]

I used to feel like I needed to change who I was to make other people like me... After doing this for years and getting teased all the time I did not care anymore I realized that I don't NEED to please society.... If people don't like me for me then they don't belong/deserve to be around me... I'm me and people need to accept that... If they can't they need to find someone else to be around.... Because I'm me and I'm beautiful in my OWN way! There is apparently a "normal" idea of beauty. But there is no ONE type of body or pretty your are gorgeous in you OWN way! And that's all that matters.

[Zlohhcub]

hahahaahah i love this "cut it out!" 

[Olivia-xygw]

Honestly just so sick of battling with my body image can’t I just be a floating head :(

[gabrielceballos]

Most, if not all of us think we look "bad" we all have our problems and they are all in our minds

[anzainetdinova]

I used to be very influenced by haters telling me my NORMAL RANGE BMI is being too big for a afab person. Then I started leading active lifestyle and realized I wanted to be BIG AND STRONG :)

[kayleeb]

I'm 82 pounds and my sister is always calling me too skinny or anorexic and I'm not I'm a lot shorter than all my friends but I have really long legs so it gives me a thinner appearance same goes for my arms and abdomen