Day 3: 30 days to body acceptance Challenge
The power of self-compliments in your journey to body acceptance
It can be hard to love every inch of your body, especially when the media tells us that we're not "good enough" as we are. But what if I told you that you could start loving yourself today, just by complimenting yourself?
It might sound a little strange, but hear me out. Studies have shown that self-compliments can actually boost your body image and make you feel better about yourselves. So why not give it a try?
In this article, I'll teach you how to give yourself the compliments you deserve—from head to toe. I'll also show you how to accept and embrace your body, no matter what it looks like. Are you ready to start loving yourself?
Self-love is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. It's not always easy, but it's so worth it. When you love yourself, you're kinder to yourself and you're more likely to treat yourself with respect. And if you respect yourself you won't take shit from other people. You also start to see your own beauty—inside and out.
Body positivity is about accepting your body, no matter what shape or size you are. It's about being kind to yourself and others, and embracing all that makes you unique. When you're body positive, you're more likely to have a healthy relationship with food and exercise. You won't see exercise as a chore and a thing that one only does when one wants to lose weight. I talked more on that in my last post. So be sure to check it out.
How to Start Complimenting Yourself
Start with the basics: look in the mirror and compliment yourself on your eyes, your hair, or your skin. It might feel fake or silly at first, but with time it will become second nature. And there's nothing wrong with that!
It's important to be kind to yourself, because nobody knows you better than you do. So start small and work your way up. When you're feeling down, give yourself a mental pat on the back for all the things you've done well. Not every day is going to be great, but that doesn't mean you're not worth celebrating.
The next time you find yourself reaching for the compliments of others, try turning inward instead. You might be surprised at how good it feels to shower yourself with love.
Like me, I'm my number one hype woman. You need to see me when I am hyping myself. Honestly. Maybe I'll do a video and send it to you.
Tools and Tips to Reframe Negative Thoughts
Self-complimenting can be a tricky business, but it's worth it. The goal is to start to reframe your negative thoughts into positive ones, so that you can begin to accept and love yourself just the way you are. It takes practice, but the following tips should help:
1. Make a list of your good qualities.
When you feel like your negative thoughts are taking over, grab a piece of paper and write down all of your good qualities. This can include anything from being a great friend to being a hard worker. The more positive traits you can list, the better. Keep this list with you and refer to it when you need a boost.
2. Speak positively to yourself in the mirror.
Stand in front of a mirror and say something positive about yourself. It could be as simple as "I have beautiful eyes" or "I'm kind-hearted." Repeat these affirmations every day, and soon they'll start to feel true.
3. Find your power pose.
When you feel like your confidence is flagging, find a power pose to help boost your self-esteem. Power poses are poses that make you feel strong and powerful—think Wonder Woman with her arms crossed or Superman with his hands on his hips. Hold the pose for 10 seconds, and repeat as needed.
Types of Compliments to Give Yourself
One of the easiest ways to start giving yourself compliments is to look in the mirror and list out all of your favorite physical attributes. This could include anything from your eyes, to your skin, to any other features that you really like. It’s so important to make sure that you are acknowledging these parts because it helps in developing a deeper appreciation for things about yourself that may have been overlooked before.
Now that you’ve listed out the physical elements, think about how you carry yourself on a daily basis. What words come to mind when thinking about how you move through life? Examples would be “confident”, “determined” or “authentic”. Positive adjectives can empower us and build up your self-esteem even more.
Lastly, give yourself compliments on activities and skills that don’t necessarily reflect your physical appearance. This could range from telling yourself “I did an amazing job on my presentation today” or “I wrote an incredible essay yesterday”. Celebrating the things we have achieved can help boost our mentality and show us that compliments need not always be focused on our looks alone.
Examples of Self-Talk to Boost Confidence
No one deserves to be treated badly – this includes yourself. Start by choosing positive language to talk to yourself. Instead of berating yourself for the mistakes you’ve made and the things you can’t control, focus on what you can change and learn from your experiences.
Try out some of these self-talk techniques for a touch of self-love and body acceptance:
- "I am worthy of love, even with my imperfections."
- "I accept my body with all its flaws and unique features"
- "I will try my best today, even if I don't end up achieving what I intended."
- "I respect my own feelings, thoughts and beliefs."
- "I acknowledge that I have the power to make mistakes without it defining me as a person."
- "I trust myself. I know that I'm capable of making the right decisions in life."
Making Compliments Part of Your Daily Routine
To truly start loving yourself and your body, you need to turn compliments into a habit. It may sound silly at first, but I promise that if you make it part of your daily routine, you will start re-framing the way you interact with and feel about yourself.
Choose a few moments each day to pause and take in the beauty around you. Be intentional about noticing things that make you smile or that make your heart swell up with love. It could be something as simple as a beautiful sunset or as complex as some new feature of yourself that you’ve noticed and appreciate. Whatever it is, remind yourself to see the beauty in everything around you—and don’t forget to tell yourself that you deserve these compliments too!
By making self-complimenting part of your routine, it will make it much easier for the compliments to start flowing on autopilot—and soon enough, those negative comments about your looks will start fading away. It’ll take time, but if you stick with this practice and try using “self-love speak” whenever possible, it won’t be long before your outlook starts shifting in a positive direction.
The next time you find yourself looking in the mirror, give yourself a compliment. And then do it again the next time, and the time after that. Not only will you start to feel better about yourself, but you'll also be promoting body acceptance and body positivity.
Today’s challenge:
Make a video of yourself complimenting yourself with three affirmations. Use the hashtag #30daystobodyacceptance and tag me. Don’t forget to follow feministincsays to jump on the challenge. (if you haven't)