Learn to Love Your Body
Whether you are covered from head to toe in turtlenecks, long pants and boots or ready to shed your inhibitions for Valentine’s Day, learning to love your body—at every age and every season—is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself. Almost 90 percent of women of normal weight wish they were a size smaller, according to a study from Cornell University, which can take its toll on self-confidence, relationships and the ability to live your life fully. So this Valentine’s Day, love yourself more with these tips for learning to love your body: –Buy clothes that fit you. Those jeans from high school or that dress you fit into after a very bad stomach flu aren’t doing you any favors as they glare at you from the back of your closet. When you feel better, you move and breathe better, making for a much better start to the day. –Be kind to yourself. Do you find yourself thinking “I’m fat or not good enough or not as skinny as so-and-so?” Notice your negative thoughts and gently replace them with loving, nurturing ones. Take off all your clothes (all of them!) and stand in front of the mirror. With loving eyes, remind yourself why you are strong, why you are capable, why you are amazing. Remind yourself every day.
–Stop playing the comparison game. If you find yourself coveting your best friend’s legs, your neighbor’s well-behaved kids or your sister-in-law’s kitchen, stop. Comparisons tend to remind us of what we lack, rather than what we have. –Move your body. A winter walk, an exercise class and sex can all release feel-good endorphins and remind you of how your legs carry you around all day, how much your arms can hold and how much inner strength you have. Simply put, the most you love yourself, the more you’re able to love your family, friends and the world around you. Learning to love your body can be the first step in an amazing lifelong relationship.
