The Importance Of Building A Good Body Image

The Importance of Building a Good Body Image

Guest Post Written By: Kelly Ward

In the last blog post we asked you if you felt you had a good body image. In this blog post we are going to explore the reasons why it is important to have (or learn to have) a good body image.

If you suffer from poor body image, especially after having surgery or having been treated with various medications, the consequences can be devastating. Poor body image is just not good for your health and we are supposed to be recovering and getting healthy right? Poor body image can contribute to low self esteem, anxiety, depression and bad eating and dieting habits. Poor body image and low self confidence can lead to chronic unhappiness, damage your relationships and create difficulty beginning new relationships – this is a pressure that is just not needed, when you are recovering and/or going through treatment.

We need to learn to embrace our bodies, no matter what shape, size or condition it is in. It is the only one you have.

Imagine found on Pintrest 

Okay, so first things first, what are we talking about when we say body image?

• How you see or picture yourself in your mind’s eye
• How you feel or think others perceive you
• What you feel about your physical appearance
• How you feel about your body
• How you feel in your body

Now, think about all of those points above for a minute and ask yourself (honestly) how you would answer each point. How do you really feel about your body; your wonderful, living, breathing body?

In order to start to develop a good body confidence and some positive self esteem, we are going have to do some work on it. Body image and self esteem won’t just come to you because you wish for it. Yes, you can “fake it ‘till you make it” and personally I’m a big advocate for that BUT it has to be done with real work from behind the scenes or you will just be papering over the cracks and that is not doing yourself any favours.

 Now it’s time to look in the mirror, both literally and figuratively.

This week SAS is going to set you some homework to help start your journey to self love and appreciation. When you do these exercises you may feel empowered and liberated or it may make you feel a little sad and shocked that you feel the way you do; that is all normal and completely fine. Embrace how you feel. Sometimes in life you have to face things head on and deal with what is in front of you and I know and understand it is tough, honest, I really do.  Do you want to know a secret? You will come out stronger for it. Once you learn to love and appreciate yourself the world becomes a different place to be in.

Homework (don’t worry there won’t be a test or anything!)

1. Write a list of 10 things you like about yourself – not necessarily physical either. What do you like about the type of person you are? What do you rock at?  Read the list to yourself every day.

2. Ask your husband, partner, best friend, cousin or someone you love and trust, to write a 10 things they like about you list. The answers may shock you. Read the list to yourself every day.

3. Write a list of people you admire: people who have contributed to your life, people who have inspired you, or people that just rock in the world. Consider whether their appearance was important to their success and accomplishments and their being and if their appearance was what attracted you to them in the first place (I will have a sneaky suspicion it didn't)

We would love to hear your thoughts or comments on this or any of our blogs. Please let us know if you did the homework and how you got on with it.

Don’t forget to say hello to us on Facebook or Twitter and to book mark this site for upcoming blog posts.

Next Week: 5 Tops Tips To Boost Body Confidence

Do You Have Good Body Confidence

Guest Post written by Kelly Ward

Hypothetically, if you were asked to stand in a room, completely alone, safe and secure, and asked to strip naked and take a look at yourself in the mirror, would you be happy to take a look? Do you think you would like what you see? Would you accept and appreciate what you see? Would you even look in the mirror at all?

If I were to ask those same questions to any random group of women, in any part of the country, I would bet my bottom dollar, that the great majority of ladies would answer no - No, they would not want to strip and be totally naked. No, they would not want to stand and look at themselves naked for any period of time. No, they would not like what they see...  If I were to hedge another bet, I would imagine they would talk about how they wish they had longer legs, a flatter stomach, bigger boobs, smaller boobs, were taller, shorter, fatter, thinner and so on and so on and so on. Society tells us, as women, we should be beautiful and desirable; with smooth bodies and perfectly coiffed hair. We should work out and wear clothes to suit our body shape and wear colours of make- up and clothing to match our skin tones. Make the best of what we have.

Through the media, the internet, pop culture and our own in-built programming we are a whole nation of body conscious individuals... but what if you have had a major surgery and part of you is missing? What if you have scarring from all your surgery? What if you wear a prosthetic? What if you wear a colostomy bag? What if you are not “normal”? How do you face the mirror then?

One small step at a time.

Body confidence, like every other example of confidence, has got to be an inside job. It has to come from within to be projected out. We all know or have seen those confident types right? They swish into a room and command attention. They are comfortable in their own skin. Now I’m not talking about the clothes or make up they wear here, I’m talking about their inner confidence and beauty that shines right out of them when you meet them; true confidence, no matter your size or shape, is a truly sexy and powerful thing!  These confident types are beautiful, because they love and respect themselves, not because they are perfect.

If you think you are beautiful and tell yourself you are beautiful, you will then begin to see and feel your beauty. If you think you’re not beautiful and tell yourself you are not beautiful, guess what’s going to happen? That’s correct, you are going to believe yourself and pick at yourself and dislike yourself and hide yourself away more and more over time – such a waste of yourself eh?

How do you help your body confidence grow? How can you be sexy after surgery? How can you rock the new body you now have? How can you feel like a confident, happy woman?

One small step at a time

Here at Swimming After Surgery (SAS), we aim to provide a service to help woman regain their confidence through physical exercise, group meetings  and social events with women who have walked the same path, and by using social media to engage and discuss issues that we may have. Over the next coming weeks we will be discussing the issues of body confidence more in depth and other issues such as clothing, travelling, relationships, sex, working and employment and many, many more subjects. If you have a question you would like to ask, please do ask and no subject is off limits (you can remain anonymous) please email us at swimmingaftersurgerysas@gmail.com

We would LOVE to hear from you. We would love to have your feedback, your comments or your questions.

Please say hello to us on Facebook or Twitter and be sure to bookmark this website for upcoming blog posts.

NEXT WEEK: The Importance of Building a Healthy Body Image