I know I’m not alone with negative body image thoughts after the holiday season. And as much as I wish to be over struggling with body image, I struggle every now and then with insecurities. So today I want to share with you how I get through these hard times and also help remind you that you are not alone. We all struggle with insecurities and even though I am nervous about sharing mine, it’s worth it if it helps just one person. Below I am going to walk you through 4 different things I do to help me overcome this struggle and regain peace in my mind and heart.
- Gratitude:
I know I’ve already written in a few other blog posts about how gratitude helps me refocus my mind from the negative to the positive. And the same goes for when I am dealing with bad body image. When I start to spiral I try to combat the bad thoughts with what I am grateful for in terms of what my body can do. For me personally, I think of all I ask of it to do physically through my training. I have been consistently running for almost a year and the improvement I have made is awesome. So I try and focus and be amazed on what I can do and what I’ve accomplished over what I see in the mirror. Apart from training, I think about just the fact that I am alive and am currently healthy with no diseases. I think about how blessed I am that I can see, hear, taste, smell, and feel things. That my heart is beating. As I start to think or write things down I start to see all of the good things that my body does for me and it usually triumphs the negativity that is weighing me down.
- Getting Outside of Myself:
This past September I was at Sadie Robertson Huff’s LO Sister Conference and it was such an amazing experience. It was an all girl christian conference with speakers and worship. During the first session of the weekend Sadie and her mom Korie were asked how they handle insecurities and the advice they gave has stuck with me. They shared that their goal is to be a “there you are person, instead of a here I am person.” That statement stuck with me all weekend and ever since I left the conference. It challenged me to be better at getting out of my head and to look at who God has put in front of me to better their lives. So I encourage you the next time you are struggling with your insecurity try to think of people you love in your life and how you can be an encouragement to them that day. Or if you are going into work, how you can bring light into someone else’s day. We weren’t made to live just for ourselves and most likely when you genuinely encourage or pour into another person, you then will be filled knowing that you are helping another person.
- Expectations:
If losing weight is an actual goal for you, you will need to manage your expectations. Results that last are not quick fixes and healthy weight loss takes time. We are just getting out of the holiday season. A season that is filled with delicious treats and homemade meals. It only lasted for two months, but if you were indulging more than you were expending (which was pretty much all of us) you need to remember that your weight didn’t increase from just one meal. It was from a season of indulgence. And now that it is over and if it is your desire to lose weight it takes time, discipline, and consistency. Look at all of the pieces of the puzzle: nutrition, exercise, sleep, hydration, activities of daily living. And once you can confidently confirm that you have all of those under control, then it’s time to trust the process.
- Acceptance:
This is my last point to touch on because it often is the hardest for me. At this point, none of my three points above have worked for me and I need the power of Jesus to help me overcome my mental battles. I know this might sound odd or confusing for someone who doesn’t believe in Jesus. But pretty much what happens for me is I get to a point where I feel defeated and stuck and I need Jesus to help me accept the way He created me or my current circumstances. To take this a step further I will explain how this happened in my life this week. Like I said, this was the last step I did because the other three didn’t work for me this time. All I really did was pray for God to change the desires of my heart. I prayed for Him to help me be ok and grateful for the body He has given me. And after I prayed to God and genuinely sought for His help and deliverance I was filled with a peace that can’t come from anything or anyone else. This is the truth, and it is written in the book of Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
With all of this being said, if you are reading this blog post and currently struggling with body image issues, my heart goes out to you. I know how hard it is to deal with the hurtful thoughts we think to ourselves. Remember that we all deal with insecurity, but the good news is that we don’t have to let it control us. I pray that these steps can give you relief and guidance in your current circumstances.
-Shara