12 tips to accept your body and overcome complexes

In social networks we usually publish photos of ourselves and many times the interaction we have with others for through these digital platforms makes us notice the alleged physical shortcomings that we have in relation to other people who, according to the Beauty canons they have the best face, body or torso.

The media and the world of influencers and celebrities are the ones in charge of sell us that desired image of "body perfection" often generating complexes about our appearance physical. But there are always things we can do to counteract this psychological effect. Therefore, in this article you will find several tips to learn to accept your body as it is and manage your complexes.

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Practical advice to accept your body as it is

It is necessary and fundamental to accept our body as it is, above all because it really there is no totally perfect body. It's time to get rid of that idea from our head.

Your body is unique and unrepeatable, it is original, and in theory only that condition is enough to be able to accept and love it as it is... But in practice it is not so simple. Therefore, below you will find several tips that you can apply to accept your body as it is.

1. Adopt healthier habits

PPractice generating and maintaining positive thoughts about yourself. Don't just do it one or two days, better make it a habit. When you have established this pattern of behavior you will begin to feel good about yourself and you will enjoy and accept your body as it is. Likewise, completely stop that bad habit you have of thinking negatively about yourself, play it down, confront them, refute them and eliminate them.

2. Identify negative thoughts or comments about your body

When we make negative comments or have negative thoughts about our body, we hurt ourselves, because we damage our own self-esteem. Respect yourself and be kind to yourself.

That is why it is important that you begin to identify the number of negative thoughts that you yourself have about your body. You can start by writing down on a sheet the comments you make and the frequency with which you do it. In this way you will begin to keep a record that you will use later to confront those thoughts in order to replace them with healthier ones.

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3. Identify the time you spend on your negative thoughts

The negative thoughts you have about yourself are not going to help you improve your physical appearance, on the contrary, what they will do is generate discomfort in your mental health. After you have identified the negative thoughts on a sheet, it is important that you start to take into account the time you dedicate to these maladaptive thoughts. Reflect for at least a couple of days on how often you have these negative thoughts. Finally, ask yourself what benefit the frequency with which you have these thoughts and if it really helps or hurts you.

4. Replace your negative thoughts

At first it is a bit difficult to reduce and replace negative thoughts; however, its realization is important to be able to accept our body as it is. When you realize that you start to think negatively, reduce the influence of that thought by focusing your attention on other experiences linked to the present moment and replace it with another positive thought about yourself. Be patient and take the prudent time to carry out this activity. You can start trying to think positive thoughts every day, remember them during your day and especially when negative thoughts appear.

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5. Limit your media visibility

You can reduce the time you spend watching TV shows, magazines, blogs, or movies that present unrealistic images of a perfect body. Consider that there is a large number of photos on social networks and magazines that are altered so that people look "perfect" or according to the supposed standards of "sexuality and beauty". It is important that you do not let yourself be influenced by the supposed beauty standards that exist today, as they really turn out to be very superficial and unrealistic. Instead, get in touch with other media that bring you a more realistic vision of what human beings are like in all their diversity.

6. Identify what you like about physical appearance

Maybe you like your hands, your hair, your eyes, your smile, your feet, your face, your legs... There must be many things that you really like about your appearance or your physical appearance, the main thing is to identify which are those aspects that you like about yourself. If you can't identify an aspect of yourself that you like, remember an experience in which an acquaintance, friend or friend highlighted your physical appearance. Do not focus your attention on the aspects that you do not like, focus only on the aspects that you like about yourself.

7. Learn to deal with negative people

Now that you are more positive and kind with your physical appearance, it is very likely that you need to have the approval and acceptance of others. However... Are they the ones criticizing you? Are they the ones who highlight your alleged physical flaws? Do they say you're too skinny or too fat?

If so, it is important that you identify and use an approach to this situation where there are negative influences of your person. Be assertive and tell them in a respectful and assertive way that the negative things they say about you affect you, hurt you or make you feel bad. It is important to point out that perfection does not exist and that you are comfortable just the way you are and you do not have to submit to those constant invitations to review your appearance.

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8. Change that relationship you have with your mirror

If you are one of the people who uses a mirror regularly, you must establish a rule in which it is not valid to think negative aspects of yourself while you are in front of it. Instead, use it to be able to identify the positive aspects that you have. Emit positive phrases of yourself when you are in front of a mirror; perhaps at first it will cost you a bit, but little by little you will see how it will not cost you so much to do it and you will begin to notice the changes and improvements that it produces in you.

If you fail to establish the change mentioned above, it may be best to avoid using the mirror for a while, in this way way your attention will be directed to other issues such as your professional development, rewarding activities and not so much in your appearance.

9. Post positive notes of your appearance in your mirror

Identify, write and paste phrases that highlight positive aspects of your physical appearance. If your room is your private space, be free to put notes where you can highlight these positive aspects yours, you can not only use it on your mirror but in the places where you are most often like your desk, for example. You can use colors, or images that are to your liking to decorate your descriptions, you can make use of your creativity.

10. Compare yourself only to yourself

It is impossible for everyone to have the same physical appearance. Many people, even those who are considered the most "pretty or beautiful", have physical defects that they try to hide from others. So why would you have to compare yourself to others if we are all unique, no one will ever be like you again. Instead, you can choose to compare yourself to how far you may have progressed over time and how beneficial it is that you have improved your appearance over the years years.

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11. Be clear that your appearance does not define your self-esteem

Keep in mind that our body image is only part of a healthy self-image. It is important that you accept your body as it is, but it is also important that you understand that your self-esteem is not defined by your physical appearance. Our personal qualities are also very important, even many people do not really manage to give so much relevance to physical appearance, but yes to the psychological qualities that people possess, such as their kindness, respect, trust, solidarity, etc.

12. Seek specialized professional help

If after putting into practice everything that has been mentioned above you cannot accept your body or your physical appearance as it is, look for a psychology professional trained to be able to provide you with specialized help so that you can face this difficulty quickly and effective. There are psychologists psychotherapists who provide cognitive-behavioral therapy which has demonstrated its level of efficacy in the treatment of various problems or difficulties associated with self-esteem. Once you start the treatment you will see that in a short time you will begin to notice a gradual improvement.