How to Overcome Body-Shaming Obstacles

Have you ever been criticized by others for your physique, skin, or bad hair? If you do not know how to overcome these body-shaming obstacles, you will increasingly feel inferiority about yourself and lose all motivation to improve.

Body shaming interpreted as negative statements about the appearance of other people not only happening among strangers but also between friends, acquaintances, even among family members. You need to understand and deal with your inferiority complex. So, unkind remarks do not affect your mental or physical health.

Signs:

Body shaming involves a variety of behaviors including direct and indirect criticism of appearance, which can be vague or harsh words. Body shaming has two forms of ridicule yourself or ridicule others.
“That girl is ugly.”
“What son is so short?”
“Contest beautiful people that acne faces so much sky.”
“So skinny, nothing beautiful but also Miss!”
Also, you can make negative statements about yourself such as:
“I’m fat as a pig.”
“I am as thin as a mobile skeleton.”
“I don’t feel as ugly as I am.”

Focusing on dieting rather than nutrition

Our body runs like an engine, which means it needs a steady flow of fuel to reach its full potential. One of the main sources of fuel is food. Due to this reality, nutritious diets should include variety and offer many vitamins, fiber, fat, and even carbohydrates. When we give into dieting fads like calorie counting or cutting out carbs, we are acting on our desire to look a particular way. Rather than you focus on supporting our body functioning in the way we need it too.

Refusing to indulge

Cooking a good meal, sharing a glass of wine, having a decadent dessert. These are all ways in which we could give our body a treat. In spite of knowing the pleasure these choices can bring, we have internalized the idea that ‘spoiling’ too much or too often is a bad thing. Personally speaking, How many times have you heard, “You are so wise to refuse dessert.”, “A moment on your lips, forever on your hips.”

It is remarkable to remember that there are healthful ways to have a treat. One aspect of being healthy is to allow ourselves these pleasures.

Glorifying body types as they are presented by the media

According toThe Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders, it’s estimated that only 5% of North Americans have body types similar to those portrayed in the media.

While it seems cliché, stopping body-shaming starts with the realization that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and that few appropriate body types overwhelmingly overrepresented in the media.

Shaming people who are ‘’too skinny’’

Nature has created so many body types, it is unrealistic to expect us all to look the same. It is an often overlooked reality that thinner people also get shamed for being “too skinny,” “body-obsessed,” “looking anorexic.” Just like everyone else, these people allowed to be free from the judgment of others when it comes to how their body roles and what it needs.

Finding the variety of body types in the exercise room

I once had a yoga teacher who had a fuller body, and every class she would reference this to make us aware of the pressure and judgment she subjected to within the yoga community. Thoughts like, “If you are bigger, you can not do yoga.” Or, “You can not be a good teacher with a fuller body.” These thoughts prevent us from seeing that fitness comes in many shapes and sizes and exercise has similar benefits, no matter the body type.

Judging others for conforming behaviors

The pressure to conform to our society’s beauty standards infiltrates us, often in subtle ways. It becomes challenging to untangle what we do to live up to these standards. It is real and will genuinely make us feel beautiful. Learning to accept and love your body can be a lifelong journey, not without its hiccups.

When we suppose someone for undergoing plastic surgery, or for wearing high heels, we are engaging in a form of body-shaming. Even when the judgment is meant to be a rejection of societal ideals, it could have the opposite effect, leading to a step back rather than a step forward.

Judging expressions of sexuality

Sexuality may be expressed in the way we choose to reveal our bodies, through clothing or movement. Supposing people on the way they do this, or denying certain people the right to show their sexuality based on their body type is a form of body-shaming. Expressing sexuality is a natural human need to which we are all entitled. We need to be able to express our sexual identities in the ways. That are most authentic to us without being judged for it.

Not knowing our bodies

If we want to know how intensely ingrained body-shaming has become, we can simply turn to how we interact with our bodies. We have learned to fear the mirror or, sometimes, to feel embarrassment when naked. We refrain from spending time exploring our bodies. Consequently, we should limit our understanding of ourselves.

Describing beauty as a look rather than a state of mind

When we recognize that we are more than just our bodies, we could begin to let go of some of the pressures we place on them. The body is a great vehicle, but it is not the sole medium through which we experience life. Beauty also comes from attributes such as humor, empathy, selflessness, and intelligence.

Only say positive things about your body

If you are in the habit of saying that you don’t look good enough, that you don’t like certain parts of your body, or you spend time wishing you looked like someone else, stop. Don’t let yourself to speak about your body in terms of negativity, ever. When you speak to others, be conscious of how your words affect people and make sure you intend to help them love and accept themselves. In short, we should stop commenting on looks and bodies in a major way. Our culture is so obsessed with looks that we have manifested major issues such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse as a result. We have lost our sense of compassion. It is because of the obsession with impressing people physically or gauging our worth based on an image.

Surround yourself with body-positive people

Stop hanging out with people who make you or anyone else feel less than equal because of how they look. You will notice that all types of people can fall into body-shaming, regardless of social class, income level, or age. Be diligent in protecting yourself from toxic social groups and create firm boundaries by sticking up for yourself if someone does body-shame you or someone else. You could stand up for yourself by kindly saying, “putting someone down for their appearance is hurtful. Please do not limit my worth to my external appearance, and I will not be able to continue this friendship.”

Read body-positive books

Try reading books like Body Positive Power by Megan Jayne Crabbe, Beautiful You by Rosie Culinary, and Body Shame by Paul Gilbert. The more we understand an issue, the easier it is to break free from it. This step is essential to overcoming body-shame. If someone asked you right now what body-shaming is any why it is so bad, would you be able to answer? Getting clear information from body positivity specialists and therapists can help heal in our psyche.

Have a body-positive mentor

We are into it when something inspires us and gives us a way to feel good. That is why having a mentor could make overcoming body-shaming fun. Find someone that gives online classes, in-person classes, or has an active social media account so you can join the conversation with real people who are making strides to help others overcome body-shame.

Body-shaming is increasingly popular and can endanger health and psychology for people with a sensitive personality and low self-esteem. So, you need to think carefully before commenting on other people’s looks. Also, you have to be very strong in the face of appearance, do not let your body-shaming hurt you.