The modern unrealistic body standards develop a vast sense of pressure among women and teenagers to achieve the perfect face, body, and overall appearance. Sadly, this is something that negatively affects their self-esteem, forcing them to develop unhealthy habits.
What people think about the perfect body is manifested through unrealistic images of women in social media. And even though we are fully aware that most of these images are altered to meet society’s standards, young girls and adult women still feel pressured to look like supermodels.
This post will focus on different ways to overcome unrealistic beauty standards and embrace who we are.
Go After Pleasure in Beauty, Not the Pain
Nothing is wrong with wanting to look and feel beautiful. All people like that. So do not deprive yourself of things that would make you feel good about yourself. Continue using makeup, wear nice clothes, get your hair done, and stay fit. All of these things are healthy for the mind, after all.
However, beauty habits become a problem when a woman relies heavily on being dolled up to love herself. This means wearing makeup even in bed and not appreciating herself without all the upgrades. Makeup and clothes can make you feel and look good, but they should be just an add-on. You must love yourself without them and not hate how you look without them.
Invest in Yourself
The best way to overcome unrealistic beauty standards is by investing in yourself. What does this mean? This means taking care of yourself for long-term benefits. For instance, makeup is temporary. Once you shower, you will no longer have that IG-perfect-cam-ready appearance. Invest in other things that will make you beautiful permanently, such as getting a facial regularly, eating nutritious meals, replacing your missing tooth, and exercising.
As you can see, these habits can result in a better appearance, but they are also beneficial for your overall health. You will feel so much better knowing that you are beautiful on the outside and healthy on the inside simultaneously.
Nurture Your Soul
Whenever we feel bad about our appearance, we tend to do things that we think will make us feel better. We apply lipstick or shop for new clothes to lift our spirits. But did you know that those are temporary fixes only? The first thing to do here is to find the root cause of your sadness.
Focusing too much on your physical imperfections distracts you from actually taking action to improve yourself. These things only hinder you from accomplishing spiritual growth and self-development. Keep in mind that your appearance is the reflection of your soul. So when your soul is dull and gloomy, it will reflect on your appearance.
Focus your energy on elements that will nurture your soul and make your spirit happy. The happier you are inside, the better you will look on the outside.
Concentrate on Individuality
Society wants us to believe that there is only one universal, timeless standard for beauty. But truth be told, beauty is subjective. Each of us has our own definition of beauty. Besides, the standards keep changing over time, and cultures define beauty in their own ways.
Nobody says that you need to compete and conform to society’s standards. You will feel more beautiful if you recognize your distinctiveness and individuality. Take your talents, traits, habits, and interests into consideration, and you will realize the kind of beauty you already possess. Your smile, eye color, hair, and skin are what make you. Embrace them, and do not let society tell you that your traits are not beautiful.
Avoid the Media
The beauty industry is well-aware that the ideal way to profit from self-hating and insecure women is by disguising themselves as helpful girlfriends. But reading posts and content about beauty standards will only damage how you see yourself.
They advertise unrealistic beauty standards and then lure women into buying beauty products with a promise that they will look like supermodels. Stop looking at the digitally altered photos of women on media and think realistically. We all have flaws, and no one is 100% perfect.
Re-focus your brain and keep in mind that women come in different sizes, shapes, backgrounds, and cultures. And these things are what make you unique.
Hopefully, these tips will help you overcome society’s unrealistic beauty standards. Beauty is subjective. You have qualities and traits that other people do not have, and you can use that to your advantage. Let your individuality define how beautiful you are, and you will feel more confident about yourself.