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Loving Our Bodies, Loving Ourselves


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Oh, someone said something about buying new clothes. I really don't like shopping for clothes at the weight I am right now, but today I decided I should get clothes that make me feel pretty, cute, or just nice. I got some really comfy pajama pants and 2 really pretty dresses, that are sort of bohemian which I can wear pretty much anywhere. They suit my current figure and I'd even go so far as to say they are flattering. I love them and feel so nice when I put them on. :) One of them is really flowy and would look really cute if I wore jeans with it.

Edited by AWhisperofTruth
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Great ideas! I have also been spending more "beauty" time. Instead of rushing to get ready (which I do because I am always late - working on that one too) I allow more time so I can really be in the moment of washing my hair, shaving, washing my body, putting on lotion etc... My newest is the lotion. I bought a nice bottle of it and I take time to put it on my body and touch my body parts like I love them. I sort of say affirmations as I do this as well, complimenting myself on different body parts instead of thinking negative thoughts about them as I am used to (I also have an eating disorder).

I also bought myself some new clothes recently, partially because I have gained weight with my recent medical issues. I purchased some new things that flatter me at whatever weight I might be at. No more fat/ skinny clothes! I also bought myself two new pairs of shoes!

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I love using nice smelling lotion. I bought this great body butter from bath and body in this new scent, "Dancing Waters" it makes me smell good, which makes me feel better.

Taking long bubble baths. I have a jacuzzi tub in my bedroom (came with the apartment, seemed strange at first but I love it). I get some coffee, a few good books and my ipod and just sit and read and enjoy the warmth and the jets.

Doing my makeup. On a daily basis I just use a light layer of foundation, bronzer and mascara. But sometimes, just for fun, I'll do myself all up with eyeliner and eyeshadow, just to make myself look "pretty."

Working out. I always feel better after a nice hard run. When I'm all sweaty and tired and I collapse on my floor, I just feel good about myself.

This is a great thread Nicole! I'm really glad you started it!

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  • 2 months later...

Loving myself or my body is something that I think I struggle with, I am constantly tense and I always push my body to the limits, I can easily stay awake for days if I want to get something done urgently, mind of matter, when I am studying I won't eat for days sometimes, and I am really unsure how to love my body, I think personal grooming etc, in society is generally seen as a womens thing, but I think that this is just not true, men also have concerns about their body, and their self image, I know personally I do, I have no mirrors in my room because I don't like how I look, and always angle the car rear view mirror just at the right angle so I can't see myself, something I had always been conscience of is my hair, I have always wanted very long hair however I never do because I don't like to stick out, well now I am, I am growing my hair long, long enough to have a pigtail, and to have my hair touch my back, and to be able to tie it back, I have always wanted to look like the achery guy with blonde hair from lord of the rings, well that is my aim now, hehe. I guess another think I do for loving my body is hygenie, I am very hygenic, but other then that I do find it hard to do things which are loving for my body or myself. I just have this feeling of undeserving, however I hope with time I can overcome this.

John :flowers:

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  • 8 months later...

Great thread!

I always feel best during a run, and I feel great for a while afterwards. I try to always eat healthy. I drink alot of cold green tea with ginseng and honey. I use moisturizer everyday after showering. I love to get my hair done, and a mani/pedi on occasion. I use glycolic products to keep my face looking as young as possible, for as long as possible. I love the feel of a great pair of hip-hugger boot leg jeans. That's all I can think of right now.

:)

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Things that help me are running, showering, painting my toe nails, buying shoes (they always fit right), getting a hair cut, and buyuing lululemon clothes (an eexpensive habit lol)

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PS- My fav quote that kinda relates to this topic is

"Wear a pair of cool boots, it will make you feel like you can handle anything, or atleast kick it really hard!"

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PS- My fav quote that kinda relates to this topic is

"Wear a pair of cool boots, it will make you feel like you can handle anything, or atleast kick it really hard!"

Yea!!

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I have just started working on my own self image............been working on a LOT of things, like getting out of my abusive marriage..............BUT, my self image sucks and so I have just started with a few things to try to make ME feel good about ME.

1. I got my eyebrows and moustache waxed for the first time in my life, and I'm over 40! Not having a hairy moustache makes me feel SOOOOOO much better when I look in the mirror.

2. I highlighted my hair and BOUGHT A CURLING IRON.............which was a huge deal for me to do, although I know it may not seem like much to others.

3. Most importantly...........every night before I go to bed I think of ONE THING that I did RIGHT TODAY and tell myself that I did a GOOD JOB with at least ONE THING!!

I'm also trying to eat healthier..........quality, nutritious food and trying to stay healthy physically instead of always torturing my body with my ED.

THANKS for this thread!

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  • 2 weeks later...

eek....I can't stand my body. I'd peel it off and leave it if I could

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  • 2 months later...

Wow! I just read through this whole thread and what a lot of great ideas! I'm working on my self image too, and have been really struggling with coming up with ways to increase self acceptance. i think my self hate is more about the fact that i cant accept that i am human and make mistakes and believe i am just not valuable and then i take it out on hating my body, because my body seems more easy to change than my worth as a human being is!

here are some tips i can offer:

1)Recite a self affirmation such as “I am worth fighting for” twice every day.

2)Celebrate dedication and effort over result by praising yourself for at least one thing each day. After all, life isn't a destination- its a journey! so dont wait until you hit your goals to reward yourself. cheer yourself on every step of the way!

3)do things that are challenging but possible to make you feel in control and accomplished (ideas: 30 minutes areobic exercise, volunteering at a soup kitchen for an hour every two weeks, learnig something new)

4)Write a love letter to yourself and read it when you are feeling down. Find the dialectic of your self-hate.

5)Sincerely accept compliments

6)Be mindful of your limits. Accept that you are human and can control only myself.

7)Allow mistakes to be viewed as learning opportunities that inspire change.

8) do a lovingkindness or any other tpye of meditation practice. i will post one below that is my favorite, you can also find more mindfulness practices on google

INSTRUCTIONS:

Take a comfortable position. BRing your focus mindfully to your breath or body for a few breaths. Open and soften as much as feels safe to you as you allow yourself to connect with your natural inner feelings of kindness and compassion for others.

now shift your atention to yourself. it could be a snese of your whole self or some part that needs care and attention, such as a physical injury or the site of an illness or a feeling of emotional pain.

use a phrase like "may i be safe and protected" or "may i be happy" or "may i be healthy and well" or "may i live with ease" or make up one of your own. let the phrase you pick be something anyone would want (safety, ease, joy, and so on). Pick one that works for you. it can be a single phrase. then but all your heart into it each time you speak to yourself. let kindness and compassion come through you.

practice by repeating your phrase to yourself silently as if singing a lullaby to a baby. practice for as long as you like. it may help to just practice for a few minutes at a time at first and later build up to a longer practice.

:candle: megan

Edited by crescendo.of.whisprs
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  • 4 months later...

I always keep one set of clothes that is RIDICULOUSLY uncomfortable but makes me look amazing, so if I'm having that trouble, I'll do my hair and makeup, put on my pretty clothes and go out for a walk, enjoying the attention. It feels great to be noticed and admired like that! Even more than the heels hurt. :D

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I am glad I left my selfconscious feelings about myself with my last stupid X husband! Now when I go out in my running clothes no one cares! It's normal around here to see people out enjoying the beautiful fresh air. He wasn't a physically active person and hated it when I enjoyed running.

I feel much better now in my new relationship. :flowers:

Katherine :luck:

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I'm sorry, but I'm not good with this kind of thing.

I will say that I do like the way my eyes sparkle.

I have a heart full of love an compassion.

Found

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oh god how i struggle with this, especially the last few years. time and 2 children and way too many potato chips and choclate bars have not been kind to me.

~i actually try NOT to look at myself naked. I have weighed over 250lbs, and even with some weight loss, it aint pretty. neither are scars. that is reality. i can accept it, but i dont have to look at it.

~swimming - always leaves me feeling good. any water actually - shower, tub, hot tub. naked always feels better. love to skinny-dip (or more like chunky-dunk!)

~scent, especially sandlewood. use lotion or perfume oil, always feels nice

~clothes that fit well, especially black.

~boots with a heal, like motorbike boots. like to feel like i could kick some ass.

~A well fitting bra

~black underwear

~rest- the more tired i am the worse i seem to feel about me.

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  • 1 month later...

something i have been doing lately for my body is what i call my daily ritual. i light candles and make a safe circle with a sage plant's smoke. then i lay down and let my body soften all over, releasing all the tension. i breath and notice how my body feels. i listen and am responsive, that is all. i follow the natural impulses of my body with out judging it. often it takes me into great dances, where my rage escapes through the core and out of me, like a huge moment of freedom! i love to move my body in ways it wants to move, my cells know how i can heal... these cells are so much wiser than my brain or emotions or patterning from this life's experience. i love being present in my body and feeling how large i am with all that space that opens up after the release, as my emotions ripple through my muscles, as i feel my inner deeper knowing in the now. its all about now for me, this healing process. this looking back. in my movement zone, images, memories, shadows, they all rise up and haunt me, but i can handle them because i am as part of the cells of all the universe. strength in my open, soft and vulnerability.

aurora

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  • 8 months later...

This is going to sound a bit weird, but I've always hated my thighs - I'm an hourglass so they're quite big!

I've grown to love them though as my cats ADORE them. They love sitting on them, padding on them like a cushion and such! It's nice to see someone appreciate a bit of myself I never liked :)

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  • 2 months later...

I've had compliments before on my 'body confidence' but I think they miss the point. I might not be self-concious, but I'm not confident. I just don't really care. I take care of my body / appearance, but I still sort of don't really care about or value it. Maybe because others haven't valued it either.

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  • 2 years later...

Love this! A definite key to continued healing is self-care, celebrating the strong moments as well.

Last night, as "minor" as it seemed, I was triggered. I was driving to attend my yoga class, when I saw three young teenage boys peeping into a little girls' jazz class. I decided to scare them off and drove quickly towards them in the parking lot, and they ran away. I told a lady working at the civic center's library, and she spoke to the dance instructor about blinds, and was going to talk later to the "appropriate person". Chances are, the boys didn't have any ill intent beyond that point, but, still, they know better, and it's inappropriate. Though it was something I rolled my eyes at, I remembered my peeping tom incidents, and the feeling of becoming lightheaded and almost passing out when I heard someone speaking to me through my window, 6 am, while I was gussying up for my work day. During my yoga, it was all I could think about and remember. During Chavassanah (spelling?), I heard his voice clear as day and was tempted to run away during my class, but I fought it off and enjoyed the remainder of my time.

Being anxious and as irritated I was at my own anxiety over it, and over the crystal-clear sound of one of my scarer's voice, I took a long hot shower and drank a glass of wine. It was a wonderful way to unwind, and I slept deeply after enjoying some wonderful relaxation, and brainless TV ("The Simpsons" is great.. lol). Yoga was wonderful to stretch out all the nervous and anxious tension I carry with me daily.

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  • 5 months later...

I have beautiful eyes and a big heart.

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