Body Shaming: How Does Having A Bad Perception Of Our Body Affect Us?

What does body shaming mean? Why do these negative feelings and thoughts arise around our body? Discover how to detect and confront body shaming.

Body shaming: How does having a bad perception of our body affect us?

He body shaming, also known as body shaming, is the act of criticizing one’s own or another person’s physical appearance. By acting this way both with ourselves and with others, this type of harassment ends up contributing to low self-esteem and can lead to serious mental health problems. Therefore, it is important to learn to deal with these emotions and have a positive image of ourselves. But what does body shaming entail and how can it affect us?

What is body shaming? Meaning

When we talk about body shaming This is about the act of saying something negative about a person’s bodies. A person with this body shame may make comments or have a negative perspective about size, age, hair, or level of attractiveness. By having this perception about our bodies or receiving this type of comments from others, people can end up suffering from certain mental health problems such as eating disorders, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and mainly the general feeling of hating one’s own body. .

Signs of bogy shaming

Yes one person suffers from body shaming I could have the following attitudes or thoughts:

  • Distorted perception of one’s own body which causes doubts, low self-esteem and desire for isolation.
  • Due to these negative thoughts around our body, some people may end up developing an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia.
  • Mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety and/or body dysmorphia.
  • Have a tendency to self-harming behaviors and/or suicidal.
  • Psychological and emotional distress which can lead to feelings of shame, worthlessness, guilt, or anger towards oneself.
  • be dissatisfied with our physical appearance and experience dissatisfaction because of this.
  • Extreme concern about body image which manifests itself in unhealthy behaviors, such as ending up following strict diets, having very rigid exercise routines, having the need to undergo numerous cosmetic procedures, all of this to change or ‘improve’ our appearance.
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How can body shaming affect us?

Having this attitude with yourself or others can be very detrimental to your own well-being. The reason is that body shaming can produce uncomfortable feelings, unhealthy attitudes and behavioral patterns that are very harmful to self-esteem or physical health. He impact of body shame over time it can trigger personal insecurities that can affect social functioning and interactions. As a result, many people may end up developing serious physical and psychological health problems.

How can we overcome body shaming?

How can we overcome body shaming?

To overcome this poor perception that we may have about ourselves requires a lot of introspective work and intentional effort. Above all, faced with this body shame, we must face the negative thoughts that can affect us in order to build a positive self-image. With this in mind, some of the ways in which we can effectively overcome the body shaming:

  1. Reframe your internal dialogue: In many cases, people who suffer from this body shame tend to have a very critical internal dialogue. Therefore, in order to put aside these types of thoughts, it is important to try to acquire the habit of reframing those thoughts or ideas that may be negative or critical towards us.
  2. Look beyond your body: Look beyond your physical appearance and try to recognize everything from your personality attributes to your skills and knowledge. Evaluating yourself as a whole can help you have a much more positive and broader impression about yourself.
  3. Focus on your self-care: Faced with these thoughts about your body, the best thing you can do is try to focus on taking care of yourself mentally and physically. For example, taking care of our diet, sleeping enough hours, practicing mindfulness, or simply focusing on yourself.
  4. Surround yourself with people who appreciate you: The people we surround ourselves with also have a lot of influence on what we believe or think about ourselves. In the face of body shaming, it may be a good idea to surround yourself with caring people who are inspiring and encouraging, as well as non-judgmental towards you.
  5. Develop self-compassion: Having a feeling of body kindness and learning to practice self-love can help you let go of the uncomfortable feelings that may be associated with body shaming.
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He body shaming This is an attitude that can wreak havoc on our physical and emotional health. Therefore, you should take these types of thoughts about your appearance seriously and start acting so that this bad perception about yourself changes. With time and effort, you will be able to value yourself more fully.