Healthy and Happy

This post will probably relate mostly to women. However this isn't a club created by a group of ten year old girls, so yes, boys are allowed. 

I feel I am not alone in feeling the way I do. As a female of the human race I constantly worry about my appearance. Not necessarily whether my make up is perfect or my hair looks "put together yet messy", it is a little more than that. These feelings I am attempting to describe are the ones you feel when you try on a pair of jeans at the store only to find that you do not look nearly as cute in them as you would have hoped. They are those feelings that sink a rock into your stomach when you walk by a mirror and find that you do not look the way you thought you did. These feelings are extremely damaging to any attempt to have a good day. Well, at least for me they are. 

Some people are so drastically affected by these feelings of discouragement that it drives them to extremes. These extremes include binge eating, obesity, bulimia, or anorexia. All of these conditions are plaguing society today because everywhere we go images of the "ideal" body type are shoved in our faces. From magazines to movies our eyes take in and our hearts are weighed down by the things that we see. Some people react to and cope with this through binge eating, which can lead to obesity. After a binge, some may become disgusted with themselves and turn to bulimia. And others turn to an internal oath to eat as little as possible; or nothing at all. 

As a health science major I am learned enough to easily discard any of those ideas. However it does not make me immune to experiencing those very same feelings. There are mornings where I get up, get dressed, and go into the bathroom to get ready and upon my first glance into the mirror, I'm discouraged already. We all have a tendency see ourselves through the most pessimistic eyes possible. Picking out every flaw and imperfection. As you begin the make-up-applying and hair-drying process, self demeaning thoughts run through your mind. Thoughts of how you should be smaller than you are, or look better than you do flow at a never-ending pace. But I would like to pose a question to you. A question that popped into my mind the other day, and it helped me.

If you had a friend who talked to you the way you talk to yourself, how long would you let that person be your friend?

It's not difficult to over-criticize yourself. I think this question is great for helping you realize how you should treat and talk to yourself. 

So ladies (and men, possibly) lets give up the awful habit of looking in the mirror and picking out the flaws and imperfections. Lets take off those pessimistic magnifying glasses and see the things about ourselves that are absolutely fabulous. For instance, do a 360 in front of the mirror and think, "Man, my butt looks so good in these jeans." Or look at your outfit and give yourself a pat on the back for being talented at putting together a coordinated and complimentary ensemble. 

Take care of yourself. Be healthy and happy. Those images of the "ideal" body type are total garbage. Eat a balanced diet, do your best to exercise, and enjoy a piece of red velvet cake every now and then! I think being healthy and happy is a bajillion times better than being critical and unhappy. 

Now, who's with me?!