Happier Being YOU!

      Have you ever been a victim of bullying?  This can be extremely difficult to deal with, especially if you are a young person.  According to www.stopbullying.gov “Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance.”  It can be a life-long problem that affects many people young and old.  There are different types of bullying:  verbal bullying, social bullying, and physical bullying.  These each have their own specific characteristics and ways of dealing with them.  This post is not intended to be any type of medical or legal counsel.  You would have to determine if your particular circumstances would call for you to seek advice within these areas.

     Just remember:  You can change many things about your life, but your “skin” is not one of them.  This is why you need to learn to be happier with who you are in your present situation. The problem is, this is often much easier said than done.  Below are a few ways you can learn to be happier in the body you have and to be the best person you can possibly be.

Develop Positive Affirmations

     Grab a stack of sticky notes and write down all the things you love about yourself.  Then place these sticky notes in places where you will find them later during the day.  These places could be on your mirror, in your wallet, or even around your desk at work, anywhere you think that at some point during the day you will have to look at one or more of these notes.  Then every time you see them, you can be reminded of what an amazing person you are.  Don’t feel hesitant to write EVERYTHING you love about yourself on these notes!

Quit Scrolling Social Media

     Let me tell you a secret that most people, especially younger ones, will not be able to understand:  You WILL survive without social media!  There is a complete living generation today who grew up without social media and they are doing fine.  I can confirm this statement personally, because I AM one of them.  There is something else you have to remember and many don’t want to face this fact.  Social media creates an unrealistic expectation of the human body and an unrealistic standard for a person to live by.  If you feel uncomfortable in your skin because of social media, it's time to stop participating.  Instead, it would be best to find more body-positive media to engage in, such as books, music, and TV shows that make you feel great about who you are.  However, keep in mind that the advertising media also displays an unrealistic view of the human body, especially is this true for young women. 

Work On Your Body Language

     You may not realize this, but you can communicate certain things to others without saying a word.  Believe it or not, your body language can play a huge part in feeling comfortable in your own skin.  Every time you find yourself hunched over with your arms folded, how does this make you feel?  Not very good, right?  Exactly.  It's time to walk with your shoulders pulled back, and your head held high—you'll be surprised by how much this small change affects your mood.  Remember, you have nothing to be ashamed of if you are only being yourself.  Most people who find you “different” will always look for a chance to “make fun of you” or “put you down” in front of others.  It is NOT right and it’s very difficult to deal with at times.  But you know that you can resist the negative thoughts that others try to make you carry.

Ensure You Love The Clothes You Wear

     If you are wearing clothes which don't make you feel comfortable in your own skin, then it's time to get clothes that do!  Aim to find clothes that fit you and are flattering for your body. This will help ensure you feel great about yourself.  It can help if, while you are shopping, you resolve not to look at the sizes and rather try on things that look like they will fit you and decide from there.  I may offend some by this comment, but I think that spandex was one of the worst design creations that has ever been done.  To me, even small, thin girls don’t look good in spandex!  But, that’s just my opinion.

     Being happier in your own skin is a lifelong journey that almost everyone on this earth must take.  But you can make this task easier on yourself by developing positive affirmations, quitting social media (at least until you are able to master your own feelings about rejection or criticism), working on your body language, and buying clothes that make you feel confident.  Just don't forget that being positive about yourself and your body ultimately must come from within.  

     Don’t let others tell you who you are, even those who may have good intentions.  You determine the person you want to be and then be confident about your decisions.  The only person you have to answer to is YOU!  And therein lies the major problem for us all because we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Of all the BILLIONS of people in the world ---

there is only ONE YOU!"