Self-talk is important; it affects how you think and feel about the world and yourself. This contributes to your self-esteem and how confident a person feels when facing challenges. Positive self-talk can help a teen in many ways. Focusing on positive self-talk isn’t about encouraging a teen to ignore opportunities to learn from their mistakes. Instead it’s about approaching stress in a positive, realistic, productive and resilient manner. Speaking from my personal experience as a 15 year old, I would say being a teenager is harder than being an adult. Sure, adults have the worry and burden of supporting their entire family financially, but adolescence is a difficult chapter of our lives.
Today, I will be elaborating on one of the most common difficulties in a teenager’s life:
BODY IMAGE.
What is body image? Body image is an integral part of our self-concept and encompasses how we perceive, think about, and act toward our body. While body dissatisfaction can occur at any age, adolescence is a major transitional period and is accompanied by many body-related changes. During this period of change, adolescents are at a higher risk of developing negative body image. Though the majority of cases are related to females, negative body image can occur in males and females, both.
If the people that the teen associates with ( friends, family etc) focus too much on appearance and weight, this can cause negative body image. Teens often see and compare their appearance to the unrealistic images of celebrities on TV and the internet, which further lead to the issue/ challenge of negative body image.
Some tips for teenagers to improve body image are:
1. Teenagers should appreciate what their body can do rather than its appearance.
2. Celebrate their qualities- good character, kindness etc.
3. Make choices that result in leading life as a fit, healthy individual.
4. Find the individual features that distinguish them from others.
In conclusion, body image has a significant effect on teen’s physical and mental health. Positive body image can be encouraged by teaching teens to focus on functionality rather than appearance.
Affirmations to build Positive Body Image:
"You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection." - Buddha
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." - Marilyn Monroe
"You are more than your body. You are a work of art, not a work of progress." - Jessamyn Stanley
"Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself." - Coco Chanel
"The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence." - Blake Lively
"Your self-worth is determined by you. You don't have to depend on someone telling you who you are." - Beyoncé
"You have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens." - Louise Hay
"It’s not what you are that holds you back, it’s what you think you are not." - Denis Waitley
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt
Using these affirmations regularly can help teens foster a healthier and more positive body image.
Author: Student, Mumbai.
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