Imagine this: You’re on your phone casually going through your apps simply because you’re bored. And then all of a sudden, you accidentally open the camera app. Specifically, the front facing camera. You see yourself on the screen and immediately exit the camera app. You feel a little disgusted seeing your own face on the screen. You may even feel the same way when you look at yourself in the mirror or compare yourself(your appearance) to other people. You may not even feel disgusted. You may feel sadness, depression, anxiety, or even more insecure about yourself than ever. Are you able to relate to this? Do you know anyone who may be facing the same problem? Well,based on my experience and/or knowledge about this kind of problem, there are several ways to improve your body image. One of those answers is to get to know yourself better.

Yes. Getting to know yourself will improve your body image. Why? Well, research has shown that people who know themselves well often result with a positive body image.(kidshealth) Well, to be more accurate, people who know themselves well, may also have high self-esteem, know what their strengths and weaknesses are, and also feel more in control of their lives. Not only that, but when you know yourself well and have a positive body image, that means you have accepted the way you are even if you know or recognize your flaws. Not everybody is perfect, and humans are considered to be the definition of imperfect. You are human, every person that you know around you is human. Anyway, it takes time for people to actually reach that point of acceptance. Especially teenagers who are going through puberty which is very common and normal. But by the time you have really reached that point of acceptance, you start to feel good about yourself. Feeling good is good because it affects your mental health in a good way.(kidshealth) Though, people who know themselves well and have positivity often result in a good body image, there is more to improving body image than just that.

Trust me, based on my experience there is more to improving body image than just positivity and knowing yourself well. No, in many cases you have to use logic and common sense in order to improve your body image. You see, there are things about your body that can be changed or influenced by you. Literally, the only things that you can’t change about yourself are your genes,which can make up your eye color, height, hair color, nose shape, etc. It is very common for people, especially teens going through puberty to feel insecure of themselves. Then, there are things about your body that can be changed or influenced by you. For example, athletic ability or one of the most famous of all insecurities, weight. Just in case the reader is also a person who has a negative body image, don’t worry, I have also dealt with it before so I guess you can say I’m a primary source. I may even still be dealing with it now.. But at least my body image has improved and if my body image can improve, your body image can too! But seriously, at one point in my life I was very insecure of my weight. As in very, very insecure. Every time I went outside, I had decided to wear a sweater to expose less of my body. I’m pretty sure that at least some people can relate to that. But then, I decided to change that and play some sports, play every day, and try to lose weight. But the ironic thing is, this is going to sound really stupid but, I didn’t actually lose that much weight. I started playing a lot of basketball since I was in sixth grade(I’m in eighth grade right now) and then I started growing taller as I started to notice my progress/improvement in playing the sport. I’m pretty sure you’ll figure out why or how I didn’t lose that much weight. In fact, I’m actually heavier now than I was back then, but that’s okay. I found my passion, and I strive to continue to get better every day. Looking back, I realized the reason my body image had only improved was because I accepted who I was. By accepting who I was, I recognized what I needed to do to be happier.

Other people may argue that body image isn’t that big of a deal. Well, they’re wrong. Body image may not be the biggest problem young people face, but it is a problem worth overcoming or improving. There are multiple reasons why body image is an issue. Let me explain. Teens going through puberty or maybe shortly after, are more likely to be affected by body image. And according to my research, teens struggle with self-esteem and body image because their body goes through so many changes and so do their emotions.(kidshealth) Not only that, but sometimes the media can have an influence on someone’s body image or self-esteem. They become more aware of celebrities and/or other people such as their friends or another student at school. With that, it wouldn’t be that hard for a teen to think that they need to have to fit certain “ideals” or have a certain kind of appearance to fit into society or with other people. All this can lead to a low self- esteem. And with a low self- esteem, your confidence is affected.(kidshealth) Then, that can lead to different things. It can lead to depression, anxiety, stress, or maybe even suicidal thoughts. Even I have also experienced that at one point. All those are already different problems on their own. Now, you should see that body image isn’t a big deal because it’s defined as “how you see your body” and if you look at your body negatively you wouldn’t feel confident.. It’s obviously a big deal because of what it can lead to.

In conclusion, there are multiple ways to cope with or to improve body image. By getting to know yourself and being able to accept who you are will make you happier and being happy is a good thing. But that’s not the only way to improve your body image. You also have to know what you can change about your body and whether or not it will be a good thing. Like your weight.(I hope that didn’t sound offensive) And finally, to those who think that body image isn’t a big deal or isn’t important, it is a big deal because it can lead to bigger problems like suicidal thoughts, depression, and anxiety. And now, ask yourself “Are you proud of who you are?” and/or “Are you going to change yourself just because someone said something that made you feel sad or negative about yourself?