Take Charge of Your Body Image: The Secret Way to Improve Your Self-Perception of Your Body
by www.Sedona.com
Of all the things you carry with you on any given day -- your briefcase, your sunglasses, your mug of coffee -- your body is the one thing that’s always with you, no matter what. And for those who feel dissatisfied with their bodies -- too fat, too thin, nose too big, hair too curly -- this can make you feel like you’re in prison.
Not surprisingly, a study by Cornell University found that most people are not satisfied with their bodies. Even 90 percent of the normal-weight women they surveyed yearned to be thinner. Among underweight women, 50 percent wanted to lose even more weight, or at least stay the same.
Men, too, struggle with their body images. According to Psychology Today, just 25 percent of men were dissatisfied with their bodies in 1972, but by 1997, that had jumped to 67 percent. And it has continued to increase.
Striving for the “Perfect” Body
Many people’s quest for a thinner body does not stop at eating healthier or exercising more. Eating disorders have seen “unprecedented growth” in the last two decades, according to The National Eating Disorders Association. They estimated that in 2008 up to 10 million Americans are struggling with an eating disorder.
Then there are those “imperfections” that diet and exercise could never address: wrinkles, a sagging tummy, not-so-big breasts. So it’s no wonder that the U.S. cosmetic surgery industry is booming. In 2007, 11.8 million cosmetic procedures were performed, which is 7 percent more than in 2006, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Among the most popular were breast augmentation, liposuction, nose reshaping, eyelid surgery, tummy tucks, botox, hyaluronic acid, chemical peels, laser hair removal and microdermabrasion. That is certainly a mouthful. In today’s culture, which idealizes youth and impossibly thin bodies, one could arguably diet, exercise and nip and tuck away every “imperfection” they could find … only to still feel they don’t measure up.
And sadly, this is often what is happening.
“Many of us are so identified with our bodies that having a negative opinion of how we look and feel in our body can very much distract us form our natural happiness,” says Hale Dwoskin, CEO and director of training of Sedona Training Associates.
How to Love Your Body … Without Changing a Thing
It’s time you stopped putting off your happiness until you “lose 20 pounds” or “get rid of your frown lines.” Yes, it IS possible to experience happiness right now, no matter how far from perfect you believe your body to be. (It’s worth mentioning too, that very few people believe their bodies are perfect, so you are in good company.)
“Nothing can hamper your ability to find true happiness because happiness is what you are. But if your body image is getting in the way of your happiness, the best way to change it is to first allow yourself to accept your body as it is as best you can,” Dwoskin says.
If you’re thinking that accepting your body is not in the cards, please bear with us, because we have the secret to help. It’s called The Sedona Method, and it will help you to let go of the self-sabotaging emotions that are causing you to feel bad about your body.
“The best way to truly accept your body is to release any wanting to change the way your body looks or feels,” Dwoskin says. “At the same time allow yourself to look for things about your body that you would be willing to love or accept the way they are. Allow your body to be the way it is now and be at peace with the way it is as best you can.”
When you use The Sedona Method, it helps you to do two things.
“It supports both feeling happier and also allows you to start taking actions to move your body in the direction of what you feel is ideal for you,” Dwoskin says.
So don’t waste another day wishing your body were somehow different. Accept your body for what it is, and get on living the life you deserve.
Sources
WebMD.com March 26, 2008
Cornell University November 15, 2007
CNN.com
ABCNews.com
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