An Introduction to the problem
As you’re growing up most people are introduced to the golden rule. It is a straightforward way to help children build empathy and compassion towards each other.
Treat others as you would like to be treated.
Sadly, this misses one important aspect of compassion, self-compassion. No one ever tells you to treat yourself as you would like to be treated. This may sound silly, but most people will agree that they are their harshest critic.
Combine this with the pressures of being young and an almost constant stream of media that pushes the “ideal body,”’ and you can see where problems with self-image can arise.
Clinicians have seen this manifest in several ways. Whether it is anxiety caused by insecurity or the development of an eating disorder from chasing the “ideal body”, it all boils down to a general lack of self- esteem and a negative body image.
As discussed by Mellor, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, McCabe & Ricciardelli in the article “Body Image and Self-Esteem Across Age and Gender: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study”, body image and self-esteem are directly related. In this paper, they discuss how “higher self-esteem was associated with lower body dissatisfaction.”
They then showed that both genders are equally affected, causing them a great deal of stress. Saying, “Women were more dissatisfied with their bodies than men; yet, men placed greater importance on their appearance than women, and also reported high levels of body dissatisfaction.” Poor body image can affect both men and women which, in turn, directly affects their self-esteem.
What can you do?
Fostering a powerful sense of self- compassion.
That is treating yourself with care and understanding, rather than being hypercritical and passing harsh judgment. In June 2015, a group of researchers from the University of Mary Washington wanted to see the implications of self-compassion as a potential means to interrupt the cycle of poor self-esteem and body image. After recruiting 306 college-aged women, they took those who displayed the highest and lowest amounts of self-compassion.
They found that those that displayed high levels of self-compassion also had high levels of mindfulness and a non-judgmental attitude toward themselves. They had lower levels of body shame, depression, and negative eating attitudes. The women with less self-compassion displayed a level of self-objectification that led to negative body and eating attitudes.
Mindfulness and mediation.
This has proven the most effective way to promote self-compassion. An article in the journal Mindfulness shows this link. In their paper titled “Self-Compassion and Body Dissatisfaction in Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Brief Meditation Intervention” they showed that 3 weeks of meditation training improved body satisfaction.
Their results suggest that participants experienced significant reductions in body dissatisfaction and body shame. Overall, this improved self-compassion and body appreciation.
Exercise.
It has long been common knowledge that exercise is good for you. It releases endorphins that improve mood and is an important part of staying healthy. Recently it has also shown to help improve body image.
A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Health Psychology examined the impact of exercise on body image. After analyzing 57 study’s pre-and post-data for the exercise and control groups. They determined that exercise improved body image when compared to the control groups.
Final Thoughts
In today’s modern age, people are constantly bombarded by advertisers feeding them on the “ideal body.” This inadvertently greatly pressures people to conform to an unrealistic standard which can cause several problems. Fortunately, you can easily help yourself.
By doing a few simple things like exercise, practicing mindfulness, and showing yourself a little compassion, you can take control of your body image. This boosts self-esteem and ultimately allows for a happier and healthier life.