Body and self-esteem

Published on March 17, 2022 By Gentle Touch

The body understood as a physical entity that allows us to act on the external world, is a fundamental part of ourselves. In addition, together with our thoughts and emotions, they form our whole body as people. We live in a society where the canons of beauty and the erroneous perception of health lead us to hate our bodies. 

It is possible that you don't want to look in the mirror. Or maybe you are afraid to take pictures and avoid them at all costs. You hate social networks since you end up comparing yourself. You dread shopping. You feel that you do not love yourself and have no love for your body. If you have these feelings maybe, you could have a self-esteem problem.  

Understand the body 

To care for and respect our body, we must start by understanding it. Your body is not an enemy that wants to harm you, but you must learn to understand it and interpret its signals. 

Even without taking care of it enough, your body is that barrier that protects you. On many occasions, we are the ones who harm and mistreat our bodies: eating unhealthily, following strict diets, or doing too much or too little physical exercise. 

That body you hate and don't want to see in the mirror, that body you hide, that body you avoid showing is the one that will accompany you for the rest of your life. For this reason, you should love your body. You may be interested in reading our article Understand and love your body! 

The problem of seeking self-esteem 

Self-esteem is the feeling of value that we give ourselves as people. It tends to look at external factors such as physical appearance, popularity, money, or academic achievement. One study found that 96% of college students tie their self-esteem to at least one external factor. 

Most people's self-esteem is conditional on something that they consider will make them worth more as people. This is often the physical appearance. And, what is the problem with someone aspiring to improve their figure to increase their self-esteem? 

One problem is what is done to obtain it. To feel worthwhile, some people (consciously or unconsciously) seek to change their physical appearance through any means, even if these can be detrimental to their health: crash diets, excessive exercise, purging, steroids, or plastic surgery. 

What matters here is not health but what changing the body represents. Another problem is that, although some people will get the physique, they were looking for so much and thus "increase their self-esteem," it is still conditional. Being conditional makes it unstable since it fluctuates depending on whether external conditions exist. You may be interested in reading our article Why is it important to be in good shape? 

Is there value in having self-esteem? 

There is value in having self-esteem. We all want to feel worthwhile. The problem arises when you search because you think you need it. Looking for it means that it is conditional, something is sought, and dependent self-esteem, as we have already seen, does not lead to well-being. 

Unconditional self-esteem, on the other hand, we can take for granted. We don't have to look for it. We recognize that our self-esteem is always there in the same way that the oxygen we breathe is always there; without looking for it, we have it. The only thing we need is to exist. 

This understanding can be counterintuitive, perhaps illogical, and easy to forget, but it must be recognized. 

Now, letting go of the goal of having self-esteem doesn't mean that we don't try to improve aspects of our lives. There are many other reasons to do so that have nothing to do with self-esteem. It means that the appreciation and respect, and value we give ourselves do not depend on what we do, achieve, or how our body looks. In this sense, if you are interested in tailored beauty treatments in Bloomfield, CT, we are your best option.  

What should we look for? 

If we are looking to feel better about ourselves, looking for self-esteem in our physical appearance will not lead us there. An alternative that does give us health and well-being is to practice an integral life. Instead of criticizing each other for our imperfections, we should treat each other with kindness as if we were our best friends. We recognize that everyone makes mistakes and that no one is perfect. 

When we discover that we must have an extended life, we will begin to have healthy habits such as sleeping well, eating properly, or exercising. You may be interested in reading our article Tips to get in shape! 

If you want to help your body, you can get treatments to feel more confident with your appearance. The important thing is that your self-esteem does not depend on it. If you want to perform any treatment to care for your face or body, at Gentle Touch, we offer you the best beauty service in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Don’t hesitate to contact us. 

How do fashion and the media influence our self-esteem? 

The media, social networks, advertising, and society, in general, have so much power to make many people feel bad at the body level and embark on strict diets and excessive physical exercise to fit those canons of beauty of models and actresses. 

However, what is the meaning of the concept of "beauty"? This concept evolves. For example, during the Renaissance, the concept of beauty was associated with voluminous women, and today, those same women would enter the "plus-size" label. 

Fashion and society impose certain canons on us, but beyond these, the truth is that the body is the only tool we have to live. We would all improve or change some parts. But this does not mean that we have to despise it. 

Do you like your body? 

A large part of the population is dissatisfied with their bodies. Thinner people want to be more corpulent. Others would like to have a slimmer body; short people would like to be taller and taller people not be so tall. 

If you feel that you don't like your body, you could ask yourself the following questions: Why don't you like it? What leads you not to be happy with it? Do you think there is any way to improve what you don't like? What aspects of your body do you like? Are the parts you don't like because you compare yourself with others? 

Body acceptance 

Accepting means working on loving you. Accepting means understanding that there is a lot of beauty behind all that hate. We invite you to stand in front of the mirror, observe your body, analyze every millimeter of your body, pay attention to what sensations it produces in you. 

It is common for the first few minutes to feel rejection, but you will get used to observing your body after those initial minutes. Go observing each part of your body, stopping for a few minutes in each of them. Stop longer in those parts that you like the most. 

As we mentioned, you can and should do activities that allow you to have a better figure but understand it from self-love and not from the need to please others. If you want to improve the appearance of your body, at Gentle Touch, we provide the best body sculpting service in Bloomfield, Connecticut. 

If you have questions about our services, do not hesitate to contact the Gentle Touch Team to get a Free Consultation. Please call (860) 216-6225 to schedule your appointment or email info@GentleTouchCT.com.