A negative view of our own body or low self-esteem can have its roots in a single or various childhood experiences and reach its lowest point during adolescence or during a strong life change such as the breakdown of a relationship, loss of a job, or significant weight gain. Many people experience lack of confidence or low self-esteem at various points in their lives, but once it becomes a long-term problem, it can have negative impacts on our mental and overall health.
There are many reasons why people struggle with their body image and low self-esteem; it can be because of negative comments they received from their parents or teachers; it may have been because of severe bullying during their formative years due to their appearance, or because of the onslaught of images they’re presented with everyday about what “beauty” or “attractiveness” must be. The standards under which body image is held can be severe, especially when they’re not always attainable through healthy methods.
These standards also tend to change according to what’s fashionable or mainstream, which make it even harder for people with low self-esteem to accept their own image. Society has not always been kind to people who don’t fit into the mold, be it because of their height, skin color, hair texture, and weight.
For people that are overweight, it is sometimes difficult to determine if it was a weak body image which contributed to the weight gain or if it was the excess weight which damaged the person’s self-image. Patients who have suffered from obesity for a prolonged period of time may also suffer from depression or deep frustration, which significantly affects body image.
At LIMARP®, we help our patients achieve their healthiest versions through effective treatment plans that focus on several aspects of their well-being. Our multidisciplinary team of doctors include licensed therapists and nutritionists who help patients both mentally and physically. We understand that having low self-esteem is a layered problem and that improving it takes time, as well as patience. This article will focus on the ways you can strengthen your self-esteem through healthy ways in order to be more comfortable and happy with your body image. It also serves as an invitation to seek professional help if your negative thoughts become too persistent, remember that your mental health is as important as your physical health.
So, what exactly is self-esteem?
In psychology, it’s defined as “a person’s overall subjective sense of personal worth or value. In other words, self-esteem may be defined as how much you appreciate and like yourself regardless of the circumstances”[1]. There are many factors that can influence your self-esteem, such as your confidence, identity, competence, and sense of security. People who have been negatively impacted in any of these factors tend to have lower self-esteem because, although self-worth majorly comes from within, external opinions or treatments have a heavy influence on how we present ourselves to the world.
Low self-esteem can lead to a variety of mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression. You may also find it difficult to pursue your goals, try new things, and maintain healthy relationships. Having low self-esteem can seriously impact your quality of life and increases your risk for experiencing suicidal thoughts[2]. It can also impact how you view your body and the negative thoughts can alter your image before your eyes, making you fixate on things that only you can see.
It’s common for people who are struggling with being overweight or with obesity to suffer from low self-esteem, but it’s important to highlight that weight loss alone is not always the answer to improve their sense of self-worth. The integrative treatments we offer at LIMARP® make sure that patients also get the psychological help they need to be more accepting of their body image and some of the tools our doctors may provide go further than exercising or following a healthy diet.
Sure, they might come into play because being active and eating clean foods have shown to be beneficial to a person’s mental health[3] and they’re also necessary if the patient is looking to lose weight or maintain the one they achieved after bariatric surgery. Some exercises or practices that can also help are pilates and yoga because of the importance they both give to the mind-body connection, which in turn can bring forward major lifestyle changes, from the way we move, to the food we eat, all the way to how we perceive ourselves. This means that practicing either one of these exercises can also contribute to your mental health and allow you to develop a sense of awareness that maybe wasn’t there before.
There are several ways to improve your body image that don’t rely only on exercise and diet, but on actions that may seem small and later have greater resonance in our daily lives.
The steps we’re about to present are not one-size fits all, but they can be the start toward improving your self-esteem and body image. Keep in mind that if you have an underlying condition, you may need specialized help from a licensed professional.
- Appreciate what your body can do, from taking you places to letting you express what you’re feeling through dancing or singing. Our body can do many wonderful things and they’re often overlooked because it doesn’t fit the current beauty standards.
- Surround yourself with positive relationships. Having a good support system can help you overcome many problems.
- Be gentle with yourself, especially at times when it feels the hardest to do so. Positive words and affirmations can reduce or eliminate negative thoughts and build your self-confidence in the process. Recognize what you’re good at, remember the good qualities others have pointed out, and repeat them to yourself, you can even write them down.
- Don’t believe everything you see. Most of the content that’s on social media or advertisements are not always real and only cater to a very specific sector. Avoid or block any sites that contribute to unhealthy lifestyles and look for creators that actually research and aim to provide helpful information.
- Look for activities that make you feel good. These activities can be creative ones, such as painting, writing, or dancing; they can be new, challenging activities like cooking or any kind of sport. You can also set goals and surround yourself with people who have similar interests. This can help you blossom in different social environments and forge connections with new people.
- Extend the kindness you give others to yourself. We’re often our harshest critics and it’s easier to give words of encouragement to others because we tend to see their qualities first. Try to apply this to yourself when you’re feeling low or unhappy with yourself, remember that you’re also deserving of kindness.
Contact Us to Learn More
If you want more information about this topic or want to talk to a professional, schedule an appointment with one of our doctors. We can help determine the right treatment for you. Contact us online anytime or give us a call at (619) 373-0229.
[1] “What Is Self-Esteem?”. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-esteem-2795868. (Accessed on July 18th, 2022).
[2] Nguyen DT, Wright EP, Dedding C, Pham TT, Bunders J. “Low self-esteem and its association with anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in Vietnamese secondary school students: A cross-sectional study”. Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:698. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00698.
[3] “Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food”. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626. (Accessed on July 18th, 2022).