Working with Your Self-Image

So, what exactly is self-image? Self-image is how you view yourself from an internal and external viewpoint. It has to do with your conceptions and personal image of yourself. One way to think of it is to think of your self-impression. It goes much deeper than simply looking in the mirror and viewing how you see yourself. It is deep-rooted and underlies our entire person.

Many of us struggle with self-image, and it can often be rooted in our previous life experiences whether they are good or bad experiences. Depending on our circumstances we can work to build a better self-image. Having a stronger self-image can help you to build a more productive life in general and can help you to take steps forward to become more prosperous. In addition to this, a stronger self-image and helps to build stronger relationships, avoid self-sabotage, among others.

Identifying and Improving your Self-Image – Some Tips

Accept yourself as you are: Let’s face it, as humans, we are not perfect, no human on the earth gets it perfect all the time. Accept mistakes you make, your body that you feel is not perfect, and give yourself some compassion. Having self-compassion will allow you to forgive yourself when mistakes happen and will allow you to move forward in your endeavors. Just remember we cannot get it 100% all the time. Learn and move on.

Being honest: Try to be honest in what you do with yourself. Accept what you are good at and are not good at and learn to work with those traits. For example, one way to boost your confidence is to think about where you can put your strengths to good use. Also, you can learn how to work on improving your weaknesses. Look to alternatives to help you become better at your weaknesses. If you can identify what your weaknesses are and can review them regularly, this will allow you to determine how much progress you have made. This will also allow you to boost your confidence by seeing obstacles you have overcome.

Thinking it through: Be kind in how you speak to yourself. It is often said that if we spoke to others how we speak to ourselves, then no one would like us. And this is true, each time you catch yourself negatively speaking to yourself, stop and think, this is not true, and replace it with an encouraging thought.

Comparison: Never envy others because behind each person’s story there are struggles and issues that they are dealing with. You may look at someone and think their lives are perfect, but they have no problems. Or you might think to yourself, I wish I had the job that my friend has. While it is hard not to compare ourselves to others, we can do it. When you catch yourself doing this action, stop and think about what is good in your life. Practicing personal gratitude and being proud of your accomplishments will help to overtime stop you from comparing yourself to others.

Self-image is a lifelong journey. It is something that we continuously must work on and always stay on top of. Taking care of yourself and recognizing when you are starting to slip into negative conceptions about our selves. Practice self-care are some of the above actions, while always practicing self-compassion.