Adopting a healthy perception

With Kazembe
The media often portrays a certain image of what is considered beautiful. In society, there is often a lot of pressure to have the perfect skin, a slim body and the so-called symmetrical face. This pressure can lead to low self-esteem and some teenagers resort to extreme means of attaining a picture-perfect body in order to please society. Serious eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia may result. Other possibilities are depression and anxiety disorders.

We often tend to focus on our facial features which we think are not up to other people’s standards. What is portrayed in the media as being picture-perfect beauty can also make us feel very inadequate. We often fail to realise that most of the images of the “super-skinny models” in magazines and online media are usually air-brushed to “perfection”. The models themselves often spend a considerable amount of time applying make-up before a photographic shoot.

As a famous international actress and comedienne, Ellen DeGeneres said, “Beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin. It’s about knowing and accepting who you are.”

An important aspect of beauty which we sometimes forget about is inner beauty. This type of beauty radiates through our characters when we interact with people around us and it is what makes us truly unique.

Challenges associated with perceptions of beauty that make us feel less-than-perfect can affect our self-esteem negatively. There are many ways in which we can counter this and re-build our self-esteem in the face of these challenges.

Love yourself .When you love yourself, you begin to appreciate your external and internal beauty, and the beauty of everyone else around you.

Instead of focusing on things which you don’t like about yourself, write down your positive attributes and focus on ways to build a positive self-image.

Surround yourself with people who are supportive and constructive with respect to how you feel about yourself.

Give compliments to other people. When you compliment other people, you start seeing the best in everyone else and you surround yourself with positive energy.

. When someone says negative things which make you feel disheartened , only reflect on those issues in a constructive way and move on. Again, remember all of your positive attributes.

Don’t compare yourself with other people. Such comparisons may end up making you feel inadequate. Set your own life goals and aim to do the best within your means.

And finally, remember, “God created man in his image,” (Genesis 1:27) If we are created in God’s image, then we all are indeed beautiful.