We are constantly bombarded with unrealistic and unhealthy standards for what our bodies “should” look like. When we internalize these unrealistic and unhealthy standards, it makes it incredibly difficult to ever achieve confidence in our own bodies.

This can lead to feelings of failure, creating a spiral that damages self-esteem and self-confidence and affects other areas of life like relationships, performance and health.

Restoring your relationship with your body is part of a larger journey to reclaim your right to enjoy life unrestricted by internalized messages of how you “should” look.

You may have been taught “the rules” about what’s acceptable or unacceptable about your body from a young age by society or through the media. You may also have been told throughout your life that certain parts of yourself are not acceptable or attractive because they don’t fit into someone else’s idea of what a body “should” look like.

And at the same time, you may also feel ashamed or embarrassed by these thoughts and beliefs. But it is important not to be hard on yourself because it takes time to change old habits and beliefs about our bodies.

Many people have spent years thinking these things about themselves without even realizing how much damage this has caused them over time until they begin to pay attention.

The first step is realizing that these thoughts are not true, and the second is to replace them with new beliefs about yourself that are more positive and empowering.