Tag Archives: self image

Let’s Talk About Handling Unwanted Belly Comments

I am very lucky to be with a man that finds the pregnant body sexy and beautiful. And he’s not the only one: Men in most cultures find fertility very attractive, leading the women to flaunt it in its many forms, especially pregnancy. Coming home to this kind of acceptance had a profound impact on my self-image during what was a very large pregnancy for me. This was especially true with all the unwanted, sometimes rude comments I received due to my large belly. I found respite in talking to my fiancé about how upset they made me. I’m not … Continue reading →

Liking What You See in the Mirror

We all need to work consistently on maintaining a positive image of ourselves. We need to train our brains just as much as our bodies. As with exercise, if we don’t use it, we lose it! Once we start to slide into regularly thinking negative thoughts, we quickly find ourselves on a very slippery slope which leads to low self-esteem. How to stop the rot? Read on. 1. Accept compliments Do not minimize or negate compliments. Don’t give excuses as to why you look good or did a great job on a project. Accept these compliments with a smile. If … Continue reading →

Body Image Resources

Quick tips for helping your child develop a positive body image: Help your child understand that weight gain and body changes are a natural part of development. Avoid negative statements about your own body size and shape. Avoid negative statements about your child’s body size and shape. Help your child make healthy decisions about food. Encourage your child in his or her efforts, interests, and talents. Make and post a Ten Things I Love About Myself list with your child. Keep the list in the bathroom or on the bedroom mirror. Make and post a Ten Things I Love About … Continue reading →

Body Image For Kids

A healthy body image starts at a young age. With a positive body image, a girl or woman has a real perception of her size and shape, and feels comfortable with her body. She feels proud of her body! With a negative body image, a girl or woman has a distorted perception of her size and shape. She compares herself negatively to others, and feels awkward and anxious about her body. Negative body image can lead to low self esteem, depression, and serious health issues like eating disorders. For mothers, the way they see themselves can impact the way their … Continue reading →

Cleaning up our act

Not too many of us made it through childhood and adolescence without being told on numerous occasions to clean up our room. Most of us hated it! But, in hindsight, when our mothers hounded us to “clean up our act” they were unknowingly giving us a gift. A gift that we can use to our advantage for the rest of our lives. So how can cleaning up our room in adolescence have an effect on our later lives? Read on… Although we most probably rebelled at being asked repeatedly to clean our rooms, there was more going on than just … Continue reading →

I Like Myself! — Karen Beaumont

I like myself! I’m glad I’m me. There’s no one else I’d rather be. I like my eyes, my ears, my nose, I like my fingers and my toes. With hysterical illustrations, this book gives a very powerful message to children: they have every right to like themselves just as they are! The little girl in the book has outrageously wild hair, but that doesn’t matter. She likes it. She lives in a strange house with even stranger pictures on the walls, but it’s all a part of her world and so therefore, she likes it. She’s proud of who … Continue reading →

Who’s your best friend?

When someone asks you this question, how do you usually answer? Do you mentally run through a list of friends deciding which one is really your favorite? Or perhaps you would answer immediately that your best friend is your spouse or partner. I’m hoping that you answered that your best friend was you! Are you a good friend to yourself? Sadly, most people are their own worst enemy. We are often especially hard on ourselves, reserving the harshest of criticisms and the highest demands upon ourselves: terms that we would never dream of applying to others. Why do we do … Continue reading →

What’s Wrong With Being Single?

This may seem like an odd topic for the Marriage blog, but a conversation I had yesterday really got me thinking. Someone very close to me has spent the last few years kicking herself for choices she made, some good and some bad. She has two children, both products of affairs of the heart – the fathers were both men that she loved very much. With her first child, their relationship disintegrated in the weeks after the baby was born and with her second, the relationship was disintegrating during the pregnancy. She feels like a failure in the sense that … Continue reading →

Too Much Emotional Baggage? Consider Unpacking

Do you remember the old question that they used to ask at the airport when you were checking in for your flight? Pre-9/11 the question was always; did you pack your own bags? Has anyone, but you handled your bags prior to arrival here? The correct answer to this question that they were looking for was yes; you packed your own bags. So let me ask you this, did you pack your emotional bags? Has anyone, but you handled your bags prior to getting to where you are right now in life? If you can’t answer yes to these questions, … Continue reading →

Fitness Notes: How Do You See Yourself?

I was reading Kaye’s blog Confessions of an Avid Exerciser: My Deep Dark Secrets yesterday and I found myself grinning. I couldn’t fault the reason why she loves her daily exercise and what keeps her motivated. I like to eat too – in fact, I hate dieting with a raging passion. I hate being told I can’t have something to eat that I like a lot. It’s probably a psychological problem, but I don’t see myself that way. I just see myself as someone who enjoys life and so I look at my exercise as a way that I get … Continue reading →