Meditation, Positive Psychology, Yoga

Learning to Find Value in Your Body

If I were to ask you what you don’t like about your body, chances are you would have several answers in a matter of seconds. If I were to ask you where you do find value in your body, it will likely be tougher to find an answer — or as many answers. 

It’s common for us to focus more on what we don’t like about ourselves than looking at what we do like. We obsess over the negative things, but neglect all the things that make our bodies unique and special.

Look Past the Imperfections

It seems like we are constantly at war with our own bodies. We have an image in our mind of what our body should look like and anything short of that is failure. We stress over it, lose confidence, and continue to damage ourselves even more. 

Many of us view our bodies the wrong way. We view them as something that’s supposed to look good, rather than something that’s supposed to function well. Our bodies are much more than just a visual, there’s more to us than what is shown on the outside. 

When you spend more time worrying about your outside appearance, you are neglecting what’s going on inside of your body. We add mental stress, hatred for ourselves, we change the wrong habits in pursuit of a certain body shape, we lose self-esteem, the damage goes on and on.

The truth is, we all have imperfections that we showcase out in the open for everyone to see and they are sometimes out of our control — things we were born with. These don’t define who we are and we shouldn’t act like they do. Our bodies are wonderful pieces of art that function simultaneously all day long. 

There’s so much to love about your body if you can learn to look past the imperfections and show appreciation for all the things your body does right — breathing, thinking, walking, smiling. And even if you don’t like your smile — which a lot of people don’t — you can still be grateful for having the ability to smile and find things to smile about. 

To Find Value In Your Body, You Must Care For It

Our bodies have a lot to offer, but only to those that appreciate and care for it. Neglecting your body or focusing on the imperfections will only cause more damage in your life, but taking care of your body at its core can unlock your body’s true potential. 

There are many ways to start caring for your body more. This can include positive thinking to ease yourself of negative emotions, a better diet, regular check-ups at the doctor, practicing yoga or meditation, a weekly workout schedule, drinking more water, the list goes on. If you care for your body, it will reward you with positive results. You’ll feel better, more motivated, and more happy about your current state. 

We need to stop shaming ourselves over our bodies and start awe-ing at all the miracles they provide on a daily basis. There’s more to your book than just the cover, so act like it.