Women suffer to a greater extent from stereotypes about the "correct" appearance and for years cannot come to terms with the body, its age-related changes and the inconsistency of their image with beauty standards. Let's figure out how to deal with it.
Learn a non-judgmental view of yourself
For many people, looking in the mirror is not the most pleasant experience during the day and the moment to look for flaws. What can be improved? What parts of the body are not well groomed? Where do you need to get rid of a few centimeters? Looking in the mirror is not at all an obligatory ritual for most people and, as it turns out, often interferes with our adequate perception of ourselves not from the appearance, but from the inner state. The problem, of course, is not in the mirror itself, but in the context of the perception of our reflection, which can be unpleasant or even traumatic. For example, mirrors in most fitting rooms distort our natural proportions and rarely compliment our figures, and in times of stress we use reflection to instantly look for flaws or to try to correct our self-esteem.
What to do. Look at yourself contemplatively and without haste, as at a phenomenon of nature or a stranger. Learn to observe different moods and facial expressions without making quick judgments or promises to improve your appearance. Find time during the day to smile at yourself in the mirror, freeze in immobility, get used to your look without makeup, find interesting details and favorite features in your appearance. Remove from social media the unnerving and frustrating images of "perfection" that make you feel disdainful of yourself. And most importantly, to exclude conversations and people who discuss others by their appearance and immediately hang labels: this destructive habit greatly distorts the worldview and puts self-esteem at risk.
Give your body freedom of movement
The problem with a sedentary lifestyle is not only reduced energy expenditure or lack of muscle tone, but also that mental work teaches us to disdain physical labor and the opportunities that the body gives us. The amount of movement that seemed natural in childhood and adolescence is rapidly decreasing over time - most adults are used to trusting unpleasant things to cars, and jogging or somersaults has not seemed an easy task for a couple of minutes for a long time. We all lose from the loss of freedom of movement - primarily because we cease to feel the connection with our body and perceive it as a container for moving the brain.
At the same time, the possibilities of a healthy body are very wide - from dozens of sports disciplines to creative activities, and it is not necessary to be a champion in athletics to respect your body and thank it for your efforts. Stretching at home or yoga in hammocks, trekking or preparing for a marathon, regular gym activities or an active walk with children and pets, meditation and dancing, steam bath and sauna, sex and masturbation are all ways to hear your own body, the choice depends only on temperament and personal hobbies. Movement is necessary not only for maintaining shape, but also for endurance and body tone in the long term.
What to do. Choose activities that are necessary for well-being and improve mood. In establishing a healthy habit, the main thing is to build on pleasure, not guilt. Add morning stretches to your weekday rituals, end the evening with meditation, find a nice section and attend with friends, or study at home at a convenient time and with pleasant trainers. Or not at all in an organized way to play sports, but instead walk a lot, watching others, listening to an audiobook, or going to school or kindergarten with your child. Arrange long walks with the dog or solo walks with friends - explore the area, city, park. Go to a modern dance or Latin course and redefine flexibility and the role of a partner. Think about what's missing in sex to make it fun, enjoyable and new. Remember crazy desires - from jumping on a trampoline to flying a hang-glider - and think about how to realize at least something of your plans and regain control over your own body.
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Accept the body as a unique identity
You can treat your own body from the perspective of a researcher, noting family and national traits in it: in this way your personal body ceases to be only yours and becomes inscribed in a more global context - tradition, ethnos, history of a country or region. Understanding your roots and seeing family members in your appearance can be very helpful if you want to feel like a part of a big story and feel the ground under your feet. The shape of the nose and eyebrows, the type of figure and the color of the eyes, the growth and properties of the hair can be a feature of our beloved relatives and parents: in some ways we are similar to loved ones, but in some ways we are incredibly different from them. The same applies to national characteristics: pale or dark skin, small or tall stature, the shape of the eyes and the color of the lips are due to our origin and ethnicity - and to understand this is almost more interesting than reading adventure books.
Also, our body is the embodiment of personal experience and past experiences: scars and stretch marks, stitches and traces of pregnancy and childbirth, injuries and operations are reflected on the body, but most importantly, they carry information about what we have experienced and what happened to us.
What to do. Study the family archive and explore your roots - learn more about your appearance through the experience of loved ones and their experiences, rewrite the personal history of your relationship with the body. Recall and write down the main experiences of your body for which you are grateful to it, designate everything that the body experienced with you and from which it protected you. And also to formulate the incredible capabilities of the body, for which you are especially grateful to him - in everything that you do well, there is definitely his merit.
Surround yourself with everyday comfort
The seemingly basic and primitive advice is actually much more complicated than it seems. Household comfort consists not only of a cozy home and a well-equipped workplace, but also of a dozen invisible little things that affect our mood during the day.
It's worth starting at home. Is the furniture comfortable, do you enjoy using it, do you sleep well on your bed? A good pillow is as important as the clothes in the wardrobe, and the height of the table and chair has a decisive influence on posture and well-being. Is clean and tasty water available at home? Do you like your shower head and toothbrush? Does the refrigerator keep food fresh? Are the work and recreation areas separated in the apartment? What about soundproofing and drafts?
The next step is to move on to family members and relationships at home. Do you cope with household duties together or do you have to do everything alone? Do you have rituals and family traditions? Does each family member have a personal space with things that are important to him? How and in what mode do you sleep? Are you getting enough sleep?
Work time and work space are also worth analyzing - for many people, this is half of their waking hours. How do you get to work and can you improve this time with a cup of homemade tea or an interesting book on the road? Is your workplace comfortable and pleasant, is there a lunch break, do you need earplugs or a timer at work for greater efficiency?
What you should definitely think about is clothing, the immediate shell of your body, which largely dictates your well-being. Uncomfortable shoes, tight or excessively loose clothing, rough bedding and uncomfortable pajamas, outfits that are not suitable for the weather, in which you are uncomfortable to move - these things should be gotten rid of first of all: even with a strict dress code, you should like your clothes and be pleasant for daily wear.
What to do. Define the key concepts of comfort for yourself - the key moments during the day that bring you back the calm and warmth inside. Think about how to bring these moments into your daily routine. Analyze your daily routine - from grooming habits and makeup to wardrobe and furniture arrangement - so that your body is a priority. Give up what puts the body under stress (whether it will be your favorite but uncomfortable heels, or a work chair that hurts your back), and make the comfort of your body the main criterion by which you will build your life in the coming year.
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Monitor nutrition
As with any good habit, it’s worth dealing with nutrition based on positive motivation, not guilt. Inhibitions can be effective, but positive reinforcement works much better in the long run - praising yourself for making the right choices and then monitoring your condition.
Approach "What tasty and healthy with a huge amount of vitamins can I eat now?" more productive than "I can't do this, I'm on a diet now." Nutrition control is necessary primarily in order to receive nutrients and energy, monitor the balance of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, and also combine nutrition diaries with exercise diaries, whether it is a pedometer or a gym visit schedule.
The approach to proper nutrition can be different: it is more convenient for someone to count calories, for someone it is more convenient to break food into fractional and regular meals, for someone it is just to keep a diary of intuitive nutrition or fill in the columns in the application. Regardless of the fashion for gluten-free food, vegetarianism and raw food diet, certain categories of food have been considered healthy at all times: fresh vegetables and herbs, fruits, unprocessed cereals, fish, all non-fried and non-carbonated.
What to do. Explore the list of very healthy foods and start buying them home on a regular basis. Someone likes sauerkraut, and someone - avocado. Someone cannot live without coffee, while others are used to drinking herbal teas. The same nutrients are found in fish and some vegetables - and there is no point in choking on one product if you like the other much more. Build a menu and create recipes with your favorite healthy foods. Do not cross out "harmful" food at once - the more sharply you part with it, the more you will yearn for it after some time. Take homemade food to work as lunch, make cooking an important evening ritual in the family, and involve loved ones in menu planning. Shift the focus from the “I shouldn't” mindset to the “this will do more good” mindset - this approach will help to rebuild and relieve tension,fraught with sudden breakdowns.>