Why should Inner Work be in opposition with Body Image? As a late bloomer I found my balance within inner beauty and body image very late. When I was thriving with my anxiety and anger outbursts I did not feel that beautiful anymore. Neither inside nor outside. It was an amazing realization.
beyond nails, hair and lashes… inner work was required.
In my twenties, in Italy, I felt not particularly good looking. I did not have a style and I was a tomboy. I liked to wear trousers all the time. I was fond of male sports like soccer and karate, and – yes, sir – I got into fights in the hallway at school.
To be honest, I just felt vulnerable as a girl and I did not want to be bullied. As simple as that. I did not feel safe at home neither. My dad never taught me how to get respect from others (or from him until very late), and my older brother was a bully and sadic. Today we hear much about pathologic narcissism and I am still defining which one of my peers were not. At early age I developed anorexia and bulimia nervosa as it is very common today. Except that in 90s there were very few therapists and counseling on this topic.
Reload… back to these days then.
SELF-CARE.
During my PTSD journey self-care took a place into my routine. It included weekly practices for hair-care and I admit very poor skin-care until my forties, thanks Mum. Now it starts calling.
ugly me at 7am home vs sexy me at 9am at work:
Who is real me?
Know Who you Are.
self-image vs body-image.
“Self-image is how you perceive yourself. It is a number of self-impressions that have built up over time… These self-images can be very positive, giving a person confidence in their thoughts and actions, or negative, making a person doubtful of their capabilities and ideas.”
the idea, conception, or mental image one has of oneself.
In brief, it depends on your patterns and beliefs as grown up person and on how family, school and work environement influenced your behaviour and perception of yourself.
BODY-image.
Body image is how you see yourself when you look in the mirror or when you picture yourself in your mind. It encompasses:
- What you believe about your own appearance (including your memories, assumptions, and generalizations).
- How you feel about your body, including your height, shape, and weight.
- How you sense and control your body as you move. How you physically experience or feel in your body.
Many of us internalize messages starting at a young age that can lead to either positive or negative body image. Having a healthy body image is an important part of mental wellbeing and eating disorders prevention.
body-image and eating disorders.
People with negative body image have a greater likelihood of developing an eating disorder and are more likely to suffer from feelings of depression, isolation, low self-esteem, and obsessions with weight loss.
You can read more on Body-Image Positivity in here.
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