Self-Esteem And Body Image — Friends Forever

Do you spend hours in front of a mirror?

By trying on dresses one after the other till your room looks like a war zone. Or wondering whether to use a lipstick or a lip-gloss. Do you also face the constant battle of choosing between your comfy sneakers and the latest stilettos?

You work out the mind battles, get dressed and now you’re taking a final look at yourself. You turn this way and that but the frown that’s deeply etched on your forehead doesn’t seem to go away. You simply don’t like the way you look in that dress because the models in the virtual previews looked different than your reflection. 

Your brain becomes hyperactive and arises questions that range from — Do I look pretty? Is my tummy bulging out? Are the sneakers a bit too tacky?  to Is this appropriate for the meet up? Does the color complement my skin tone? Will I look out of place? 

The emotions at play are your self esteem and body image. Let’s deal with these one at a time.

What is self-esteem?                

It is the personality trait focusing on how you value or perceive yourself .

What is body image?         

It is the subjective image of your own body which shows how you perceive your body.

Both self-esteem and body image are an integral part of us. They are so important that they may either make us or break us. They are way too interconnected than one can imagine. 

Have you ever questioned yourself as to why you always question your look? Your body image and self-esteem are at their lowest. They are both mental and emotional. 

Body image is not only how you feel about your body but also the mental picture you have of your body. If you don’t like your body or a part of your body then it is hard to feel good about your whole self. This is how your self-esteem comes into play, which is very poor in this case. Self-esteem is influenced by body weight, body image, academic performance and sporting ability. In turn body image is influenced by self-esteem but there’s other factors in play like social media, pressure from friends and peers. 

Low self-esteem can manifest as clinginess, jealousy, lack of confidence in abilities and a constant need for validation from people. Research shows that people who experience low self-esteem are likely to experience negative body image. This can cause eating disorders, depression, decreased motivation and other mental illnesses. On the other hand, high self-esteem can increase an individual’s quality of life to a certain degree. High self-esteem leads to greater emotional resilience and healthier reactions to stressors. Research shows that individuals with high levels of self-esteem and confidence are associated with positive body image. This shows that healthy body image emulates compassion and self-love. 

A range of hormones influence our self-esteem and body image by affecting moods, social interactions and perceptions of the self. Hormones at play are :- 

• Dopamine – “feel-good” hormone 

• Serotonin – mood regulation and happiness 

• Endorphins – mood boosters

• Oxytocin – “love hormone”

  
  

It’s easy to understand that people with  higher levels of the above mentioned hormones have high self-esteem and positive body image. But there are others who don’t have an excess of dopamine or serotonin or oxytocin instead they are high on progesterone and the primary reason for this is social media.

The social media is something that everyone is relevant with irrespective of their age. So, I believe it is of crucial importance that we understand how these social networking platforms are impacting our mental and physical health. Social media creates the culture of comparison and competition where our competitors are none other than models, influencers and celebrities. We indulge ourselves in judging our bodies and lifestyles in comparison to theirs. This gradually ends with us criticizing ourselves for not being able to attend the gym daily or attain a certain ‘thin’ or ‘muscular’ physic. We ignore the fact that for most influencers and celebrities, their gruesome work-out routines are a part of their everyday schedule that support their lifestyle. 

If you don’t believe me then let’s take a test real quick. What is your most liked physical feature? Do you have the answer at the tip of your tongue? If you do, then you are doing great. If it’s the opposite, and you feel that none of your physical features are likeable, then you have lost yourself in the unrealistic view of reality. 

All along I had only one motive and that was to make you realize how far you are from realizing your self-worth. The steps towards boosting  your self-worth will be by:   

• decluttering your social media feed,

• reshaping it to keep your exposure to the negative content limited, 

• avoiding comparison with others,

• making reasonable goals that are attainable,

• wearing clothes that make you comfortable in your own skin.

• Finally, shut down the internal conversations that tell you that your body is not in “right” shape. 

Keep in mind that we are all individuals living our own unique lives, carrying out our responsibilities and solving our own problems. Embrace yourself! Love yourself!