Article written by Blog Post Contributor Maria
In my last post, we talked about how social media can affect our self-esteem. In this post, we are focusing on how our physical health plays an important role in how we view ourselves.
We live in an age where you can have virtually anything delivered to your doorstep. I mean, even McDonald’s. It’s as if the idea of “fast food” is no longer fast enough in our society. While this is super convenient and helpful at times, it comes with huge warning bells for our overall physical health.
This post will focus on what we put into our bodi
es, sleep, exercise, and our appearance. First, let’s talk about the ways our physical health can negatively effect our self-esteem.
Habits that Can Contribute to Low Self-Esteem
1. Poor eating habits
2. Drinking too much alcohol
3. Smoking
4. Being sedentary too much of the time
5. Not getting enough sleep
6. Not having a sleep routine
7. Schlopping around in pj’s all day or other worn clothing (unless it’s not the norm and you’re just having a lounge day)
Some of the items above you probably struggle with more than the others. That’s okay. I’ve yet to meet a perfect person (including myself). The above list simply plays a part in our overall view of ourselves. If you’re not happy with your weight, then you may not feel good about yourself. If you’re tired and don’t get enough sleep, you’re more susceptible to being triggered and feeling down on yourself.
4 tips to Increased Physical Health and Self-Esteem
Here are 4 quick tips to boosting your physical health, which will in turn boost your self-esteem:
1. Fuel your body – Watch what you eat and drink. You probably know the basics: eat lots of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and drink a ton of water. My best suggestion is to pick one small, positive change to make in your diet. If you have a soda every day, try to cut back to every other day for a couple of weeks. Then, keep backing it down until you’re at 1-2 a week or even none.
2. Move it! – Many jobs nowadays cause us to be sedentary much of the day. At minimum, get up and stretch or move around around once an hour. Walk outside and take a few breaths of fresh air. Try to work in some type of exercise into your week. It doesn’t have to be every day. I’m a big believer in trying different things until you figure out which type of exercise you love. Choose a small goal, one that you can achieve, and build on that.
3. Sleep – You should strive to have a sleep routine. This means you should go to sleep around the same time and wake up around the same time every day in order to feel your best. Just be mindful that a lack of sleep affects our thinking and our emotions.
4. Next, is your appearance. I’m a big believer in getting dressed and ready for the day in the morning. This means out of your pj’s or lounge clothes. Do your hair, and if you’re a makeup wearer, then put some on. I believe this helps to be more productive because you feel more put together. Whatever makes you feel put together and good about yourself is key.
To wrap up, we’ve talked about our physical health and how it relates to our self-esteem. We talked about how fueling our bodies with the right food, moving more, having more and better sleep, and looking put together are important daily ways to boost our self-esteem and achieve a better balance in our lives. Taking care of your physical health honors the amazing person you are. You owe it to yourself.
Maria Inoa, LCSW
Therapist, Public Speaker, & Blogger
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