When it comes to self-esteem, one of the biggest hurdles is body image. Unfortunately this issue is difficult because it comes from within. Here are five things to stop saying to yourself right now:

             Being overweight or underweight is unhealthy and promotes bad eating habits.

 We’ve all heard the concerned friend say something derogatory about weight, followed by “…but I’m just worried about your health.” They couch insults in concern for your well-being. However, health and weight are two separate issues. It’s true that being extremely over or under weight can lead to certain health conditions, but unless they’re your doctor, an outsider cannot determine your health by your appearance alone. Begin to separate health and weight in your own mind.

             How I look is more important than anything else.

As they say, beauty is only skin deep. Our society is wrapped up in the idea that appearance matters more than character. We have turned being beautiful into a contest, where the rules of what IS beauty change unpredictably. There’s more to you than what you see in the mirror. Make a list of all the wonderful qualities you have that are not visible. Post it where you can see it. Talk about an ego boost!

             Advertising campaigns are looking out for my best interests.

Companies spend millions of dollars on advertising campaigns. The commercials might look like they’re solving your problems, but their one goal is to make you buy their product. End of story. Where would the weight loss industry be if people quit believing the advertisements? When you think critically about the advertisements that you see every day, you can begin to make better choices for YOU, and not for what THEY think you should be.

             Hating how I look will motivate me to work harder.

Shaming yourself or others about how they look will never be a positive motivating factor for them to change. Feeling bad about yourself tends to lead to damaging behaviours, depression and worse. We always take better care of something that we love and care about, so change self-talk to caring words. It will make a big difference in how easy it will be to make healthy choices.

When I finally look perfect, I will be happy!

Again, outward appearance is a separate entity from emotions. Deciding to be happy NOW will boost your mood, elevate your confidence and make it easier to make healthy loving choices for your body. Think of two people, one with a permanent scowl, and the other with a cheery disposition. Knowing nothing else about how they look, which one will be more attractive to you? I bet you said the one with the smile.

Being happy and healthy are choices that are in your control. You can’t control how others perceive you, but you can choose every single day to be cheerful, and to make healthy choices. I suggest thebodypositive.org or bigbeautifulwellness.com for more resources.

Stay amazing!