Learn to Love Your Body Through Visualization
What you see in the mirror isn’t always accurate. (Photo: Txema Yeste)
Have you ever wanted to anonymously nominate a friend for a makeover? You see so much potential for her to shine, yet she wears no makeup, hides her cute figure under baggy clothes, and has posture rivaling that of a famous hunchback. But the way she presents herself to the world may have more to do with her self-perception than her lack of precision when applying liquid eyeliner.
“Our self image can influence not only how we grow to view ourselves, but our behavior, habits, even some physical traits, like posture,” says Vivian Diller, Ph.D. and author of Face It: What Women Really Feel As Their Looks Change. She has been studying the mind/beauty connection for years. “If we have a positive self-image, we’re more likely to behave confidently interpersonally,” she says. “We look people in the eye, dress more colorfully, and invite attention to ourselves. On the other hand, a negative internal view of oneself can lead to a lack of good hygiene, self-neglect and a wish to fade into the background.”
Most of us are our own worst critics, but if we can learn to turn those judgmental thoughts around, we can focus on what we do love about our appearance, and begin to highlight those things for others to see. One of the best ways to do this is through practicing a mindfulness visualization that focuses on confidence, and enables you to accept each and every part of your outer appearance as you envision your best self. Here’s how:
Find a few minutes where you can be still, uninterrupted.
Close your eyes and envision yourself exactly how you wish to appear on the outside; standing tall, dressed in clothes that flatter, with makeup and hair that fit your lifestyle and show off your best features.
Next, ask yourself what it would feel like if you really appeared this way when you looked in the mirror.
Generate this feeling by recalling a time when you actually felt this way in your mind; dressed up at a party or exiting Drybar with a killer blowout. If you can’t recall a time, then imagine yourself having the confidence of your favorite character in a movie, and feel that confidence as if you were playing that role.
Visualization is a powerful tool, because your mind can’t comprehend the difference between true reality and your imagining that reality. The more you practice this exercise, the sooner you’ll start loving the skin you’re already in.
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