Why is a positive body image so important? Psychologists and counsellors agree that a negative body image is directly related to self-esteem. The more negative the view of our bodies, the more negative we feel about ourselves.
Being a teenager is a time of major change. Besides the obvious changes in size and shape, teens are faced with how they feel about themselves. Body image and self esteem are two important ways to help promote a positive image.
Body image influences behavior, self esteem, and our psyche. When we feel bad about our body, our satisfaction and mood plummets. If we are constantly trying to push, reshape or remake our bodies, our sense of self becomes unhealthy. We lose confidence in our abilities. It’s not uncommon for people who think poorly of their bodies to have problems in other areas of their lives, including sexuality, careers and relationships.
A healthy body image occurs when a person’s feelings about his/her body is positive, confident and self caring. This image is necessary to care for the body, find outlets for self-expression, develop confidence in one’s physical abilities and feel comfortable with who you are.
Self esteem is a personal evaluation of one’s worth as a person. It measures how much you respect yourself
- physically: (how happy you are with the way you look)
- intellectually (how well you feel you can accomplish your goals)
- emotionally (how much you feel loved)
- morally (how you think of yourself as a person)
How you see yourself affects every part of your life. High self esteem makes for a happier life. It allows you to be your own person and not have others define you.
Self esteem, self confidence and self respect are all related. Self esteem is also defined as the judgments a person makes about themselves and is affected by self confidence and respect. Self confidence is believing in our ability to take action and meet our goals. Self respect is the degree to which we believe we deserve to be happy, have rewarding relationships and stand up for our rights and values. All these factors affect whether or not we will have a healthy body image.
