Body Image Stress
What is Body Image Stress?
To understand more about body image stress, we need to explore what stress is and how it affects your body.
According to the Australian Psychological Society, stress is often described as a feeling of being overloaded, wound- up tight, tense and worried. Body image stress is the constant worry, tenseness, overwhelm by a persons current reality and the reality they want.
Let’s explore this a little further. Your current body image is what you see every day reflected in the mirror. Many people who struggle with body image stress will choose to interpret this reflection in a negative way. This image is always seen from the perception of the person and no matter what others may say, they will always want a different reality. The reality that is causing them all the emotional stress in their life.
We talk about stress in general terms but so many people struggle with body image stress and have been conditioned by their past and the pressures of society. All the negative emotions generated trying to fight the current reality to achieve the reality you want is exhausting. BUT we can change this. It is all about the way we use our minds. The first step is to understand that what you see today is real and no matter how much you get angry, you get upset, you wish it wasn’t your reality – IT IS. Nothing will change this today. When you accept this, the stress between what you have and what you want will slowly reduce. That doesn’t mean you do not strive for the reality you want, it just means you will not get it today.
The second step is to be aware that when you take care of your mental health, this helps reduce mental illness. The two are not the same. Working on mental health helps prevent mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. The World Health Organisation defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” If you are starting to feel your body image is out of control, maybe it’s time to take back control and make a few changes.
How to start to eliminate body image stress?
What you think becomes your reality.
Think of the brain like a computer. You are the boss and your brain works for you. It likes to be correct and work efficiently to give you the results you are after. Your brain has to process over 60,000 thoughts every single day and the only efficient way it can do this is through the RAC system – like the gatekeeper to the conscious mind. This system determines what is important and what’s not so important to you by filtering information. The information the brain identifies as important is the information you focus on the most. What you focus on is what is sent to the conscious mind.
If you are constantly focusing on the body image you want and how much you dislike what you see, the brain will work hard to try and prove this is correct. It will source as much information as possible and deliver it to the boss (you), happy proving your initial thoughts are correct. When you start to focus on the reality have, not the reality want, the brain will go to work trying to find information to prove your current reality is exactly the way it’s meant to be. By changing your thoughts on what is real and accepting it, your brain starts to rewire itself to like what it sees. Don’t forget, you are the boss.
Try this easy 10 minute body image stress makeover.
There are techniques you can begin to implement into your daily life to help reduce the stress caused by body image. Click on the LINK HERE and download for FREE the quick 10 minute body image stress makeover. When stress causes things like fatigue and lack of motivation, there is very little change that your body will be capable of losing weight and maintaining a healthy body image under these conditions.
There is a way to make changes in yourself if you understand how. Click on the LINK and do the 10 minute body image stress makeover.
Have a wonderful day.
Linking up with Kylie for #IBOT
I don’t think I have body image stress but I certainly had the frustration of being judged on BMI recently. It’s like someone flipping you off and ignoring all the work you’ve done to be healthy; and health is so much more than a BMI!
I must admit I am not a fan of BMI – it says I am over weight and I know after 25 yrs of dieting and struggling that I am the weight I am meant to be. Keep up your amazing work.
I stressed for so long! Now my purpose for exercising is health and not Kgs … I have learned to let go and free myself by feeling confortable in my own skin
That’s so perfect Fran. It is such an exhausted feeling when you cannot get away from your thoughts and your body image. When you start to control your thoughts and love your body image – it is amazing the changes that occur.
I don’t think I have body image stress, I’m less about how much my body weighs and how my body looks and more about what my body can do for me… It makes a much happier me!
That’s what our bodies are for Sammie – what they can do for us. The looks are just the outer covering to protect all the stuff inside.
This is so me. I get that so much of it is in my head but it’s still a struggle.
XO
http://www.lehoarder.com/
It’s very exhausting when you feel like this every day. I did for over 20 years and it didn’t serve me EVER. All those times I thought other people would notice my belly fat roll or my cellulite or my tuck shop arms and really – no one ever did. And if they did it was forgotten within minutes whereas I held on for it for 20 yrs. Makes no sense.
I think what Fran mentioned, health rather than kgs is one of the keys. If I feel uncomfortable then I know I need to take steps to increase my comfort factor, rather than worrying about how I look I try to think about how I feel.
#teamIBOT
I exercised 4-6 times per week and it is definitely for my mental health. I’ve learnt that I need to exercise to keep my mind healthy and thinking for my benefit.