How to stop comparing your body
Do you find yourself comparing your body to….
- Friends when you meet in person;
- Other women when you’re exercising;
- Pictures of friends on line;
- Other images you see in the media either on or off line?
In this post, I’m taking a cold hard look at body comparisons – why you make them and how you can break this destructive habit.
I’m sharing three ways to help you move past body comparisons so you can reclaim some peace of mind.
Watch or read below:
Why you are comparing your body
If you find yourself constantly comparing your body to others either on or off-line, I know that it’s not a great feeling.
We live in a world where social comparisons are rife. It’s become normal to compare jobs, partners, bodies, homes, children and the list goes on.
But this behaviour is primarily encouraged by marketers.
Encouraging you to make comparisons that leave you feeling ‘less than’ are an advertisers dream. Driven by your desire to have more or be more, you’re more likely to buy the next ‘must have’ product or service.
How to stop comparing your body
So if you find yourself comparing your body, how can you stop this destructive habit? I’ve got three ways to help you move past body comparisons and reclaim some peace of mind!
Know that every body is unique
We’re not all supposed to be the same. Think of it this way – if we all ate the same thing, used the same products and followed the same exercise regime, would we all look the same? NO we wouldn’t.
Remember that the survival of the human species can in part be attributed its diversity. Being clones of each other just isn’t a great survival strategy. With this knowledge, embrace the diversity of your body, and ALL bodies.
Beware the comparison machine
Social media is one big comparison machine! It encourages us to look at every aspect of our life in relation to others.
Research suggests that using social media reduces life satisfaction. In fact, how many people do you hear saying “Wow, I feel fantastic about myself!” after using social media? Not many I bet!
Most people tend to do the opposite – complain about some aspect of their life that doesn’t live up to the ‘fantasy’ lives they see on Facebook or Instagram. So be wary of how much time you’re spending on social media.
Look out for highlight reels
Social media encourages people to present the best aspects of their lives and selves on-line. People will show us what they want us to see – their highlight reels.
When you start comparing your body or life with a carefully curated ‘highlight reel’, you end up feeling dissatisfied.
So if you must be on social media, look out for people who are only presenting a very limited and carefully crafted view of themselves or their life – this is more than likely not their reality, at least not all the time!
I’ve love to know what you do to stop comparing your body to others. Please leave a comment below.
