By Lisa Costantini
Feeling beautiful should come from the inside. And even though we whole-heartedly agree with that statement, everyone wants to feel comfortable in his or her skin. We discovered eight easy ways to make peace with your body — some are as simple as cleaning out your closet or finding the perfect workout.
1. Find a workout that makes you feel good, not dread
You are never going to stick to something if you are constantly dreading it. Think about it. How long have you been promising to go on a diet? Start reading more books? But you have to stop looking at working out as a challenge versus something you’ll benefit from. Research has shown that it only takes 21 days to make a habit (or break) a habit, so why not resolve to make one — and make it a good one?
2. Clean out your closet
Keeping clothes around that don’t fit is a bad idea for many reasons. Not only are the clothes taking up precious space in your home, but they are also a constant reminder of the body you want/used to have. It will be easier to feel good about your body when everything in your closet makes you feel good. For inspiration on how to tackle this overwhelming challenge, check out the bestselling book that has everyone talking, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo.
3. Surround yourself with people who love their bodies
It’s easy to surround ourselves with people who are similar to us. But it’s much more beneficial to befriend those who are different when it comes to the way they think about their bodies. You will never change your self-worth if everyone around you thinks the same way. Spending time with someone who acts like they have the body that they want — whether they actually believe it or not — will rub off on you. Before you know it, their self-confidence will have you feeling better about yourself, and your body.
4. Be okay with setbacks
When babies are learning to walk, they don’t stop trying after the first fall. They get back up and do it again, and again, and again. Just because you slip once (whether it’s with your diet, your fitness regime or just trying to think positively) that does not mean you won’t be able to achieve your ultimate goal — it just might take longer than expected. Don’t start out expecting to fail but go easy on yourself if and when you have a minor setback. Just remember: it’s not how you run the race but whether or not you finish it.
5. Only buy clothes that fit right now
When you’re out shopping for clothes, be careful not to buy anything that doesn’t flatter the body you have. Telling yourself, “one day I’ll be able to fit into these” or “this would look good if only” is a dead giveaway that you shouldn’t be buying whatever it is that has you wishing for a future version of yourself. In order to be happy with you, it’s important you’re happy with you… right now.
6. Get to know you
Life is busy, but sometimes that constant movement keeps us from really getting to spend some time with ourselves. It’s okay to be alone from time to time. In fact it’s good for you because it allows you the ability to reflect on what is really important — and a lot of times that isn’t you. Taking 10 minutes every morning in silence is a good way to spend time with the person who rarely tops your priority list. In doing so you’ll realize that it’s impossible to make others happy if you aren’t happy with yourself first.
7. Don’t compare yourself to others
Everyone has things about their bodies they don’t like — even super models. You might not get to see their cellulite on the cover of many magazines, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. And since they are constantly judged by the way that they look, it would be impossible for them to not judge themselves. So whom should we look to as an example for perfection? As soon as we realize such a thing doesn’t exist, the sooner we’ll be able to make peace with our voluptuous backside — and the faster we’ll realize that someone else would love to trade their toned tummy for it.
8. Go easy on yourself
Just like you need to be okay when you have a setback, you need to go easy on yourself when you do. Beating yourself up doesn’t serve any purpose — it only makes it harder to bounce back from a fall. In order to love yourself you have to go easy on yourself. After all, if you’re not your own number one fan, who will be?
8 Ways To Make Peace With Your Body