Body Image

 

I wanted to let you in on a conversation I had the other day with a couple of my friends.

AJ recently returned from his week at Burning Man. He was telling Shannon and me about the people he met and the things he saw. He mentioned something about seeing a woman freely romp around in her birthday suit while twirling silk streamers in the wind. “She was Beautiful” he said. Shanny and I laughed at the mental image of running naked in a sea of strangers. I got to thinking... that lady must have had extremely high self-esteem, or she may have just been extremely high, or both -- it comes with the territory of Burning Man I guess. Now don't get me wrong, by no means am I recommending frolicking naked to improve your self-esteem; not a good idea. Public nudity also happens to be illegal ha-ha. I was merely admiring her personal confidence -- girl has hutzpah!

I believe that a large percentage of women these days lack confidence and have a weak perception of their own body image.

Margarita Tartakovsky, MS, author of Weightless, gives some helpful advice.

Things Every Woman Should Think About:

It’s not easy living in today’s thin-is-in society. Thanks to trashy weeklies, skinny celebrities and flashy ads, slowly but surely – the media and our surroundings chip away at our body image. Self doubt creeps in and many women begin to wonder... Am I thin enough, pretty enough etc. Whatever the case maybe, reversing our thought process and developing a positive body image takes time.

1. Consider the impact. Take some time to reflect on how your body image has affected other areas of your life. How does your body image affect your relationships, your work, and overall self-image? Does it prevent you from accomplishing professional goals? And if you have children, consider the message you are sending them about their own self-image. Does your little girl hear you complain about your weight or appearance? What might she think about her own?

2. See the whole you. Many of us rarely look at ourselves as a whole person. We pick apart our bodies and nit-pick at every supposed flaw. Instead, empower yourself to see the entire you.  (Make a list of ten things that you love about yourself…internally and externally)

3. Change your mentality. Our society values a slim silhouette, smooth skin and perfect features, oftentimes at the cost of health. But when we change our mindset, we empower ourselves to pursue good self-care. In fact, it becomes a beautiful cycle: focus on being healthy, and do things that help you feel better about yourself. When you’re taking care of yourself, your mood improves and you look healthier.

4. Focus on strong female role models. Nowadays, we turn to actresses for our outward inspiration – how we dress, what we look like, whose arms, legs and lips we want. Instead, think about the many accomplished, strong women from history and today. What woman do you admire for her accomplishments, strength, character, resolve?

“Women of substance help us remember what really counts: the inner self, values, beliefs, morals, and the ability to love. With this insight, we may gradually see our entire female experience differently.”-Dr. Maine

The change can start with you.

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DIY: Sugar Body Scrubs! Brown Sugar & Honey, Peppermint and Sugar Cookie

Recipes for sugar body scrubs:  Brown Sugar & Honey, Peppermint and Sugar Cookie!

Peppermint Scrub:

Mix together 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup mineral oil, 2 T. corn syrup, 1/2 t. peppermint extract and a drop of green food coloring.

Brown Sugar and Honey Scrub:

Mix together 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup mineral oil and 2 T. honey.

Sugar Cookie Scrub:

Mix together 1 cup raw sugar, 1/3 cup mineral oil, 2 T. corn syrup and 1 t. vanilla.

Reposted from Inbetweenlaundry

Attitude!

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
~ Charles R. Swindoll

Simply by choosing to act a certain way, we can change the course of our lives.  By thinking positively and embracing optimistic attitudes, we welcome a multitude of opportunities.

7 Simple Tips For Improving Your Attitude

1. Give Thanks – Be grateful for what you have in life. Give to others that have less than you.

2. Monitor Your Thoughts – If negative thoughts are stressing you out, ask yourself where you learned this thought and if it is true or not. Shed your negative thought patterns by replacing them with something true and positive about yourself and others.

3. Smile More – Smiling is contagious. You’ll find that when you smile others will smile back. Research at Mindlab International in Brighton, England, found that a warm smile can create a "halo" effect, helping us "feel more optimistic, more positive, and more motivated."

4. Help Others — A study conducted in the US found that people who performed the most acts of kindness throughout a week were significantly happier than those who helped less or didn’t help at all. Little acts of kindness can go a long way. Give a sincere compliment, help your friend with the dishes or volunteer for a good cause.

5. Exercise — I studied Psychology in college and my professors always stressed the importance of exercising as a natural method to improving mood. When you exercise your body will produce happy neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.

6. Breathe Deeply – Deep diaphragmatic belly breathing can improve you mood and activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which will calm you down and reduce levels of stress.

7. Set Goals for Yourself – I have always felt that people who have motivation to improve their lives seem happier than those who live day to day. It is important to set goals and follow your passions. Take sometime to work on yourself instead of constantly pouring into others. A dry well can’t give water…am I right? What makes YOU happy and excited about life? Run with it. Set goals, make a timeline and figure out the details along the way.

Pictures: No info (I'll be happy to edit if you have a source)