Combat Body Shaming to Protect Your Mental Health

 

All of us have faced body shaming at least at some point in our lives. Body shaming is not just restricted to fat-shaming and thin shaming; it can be any derogatory comment about your body. If someone comments how frizzy your hair looks or the number of grey hair that you have, it is body shaming. If someone comments about your skin colour, teeth, eyes, nose, lips, or any other part of your body in a derogatory way, it is body shaming.

When confronted with body shaming, most of us feel tongue-tied while an avalanche of emotions somersault within us- anger, hurt, resentment, bitterness, sadness. The reason we often fail to reply to our body shamers is that we start doubting ourselves. 

When someone makes us feel miserable about our body, we are often paralyzed by self-doubt. As a result, we fail to stand up for ourselves at that moment. Later, we sulk thinking why we failed to give an apt reply.

There are two major problems of failing to stand up for ourselves when we are subjected to body shaming:

(i)                Our mental health gets compromised.

(ii)             We give the body shamers another chance to hurt us.

If we all speak up, if we stand up for ourselves every time someone passes a derogatory comment about our body and we promise ourselves not to indulge in body shaming, the venomous culture of body shaming would die a natural death.

Here are some tips to combat body-shaming:

1.     Understand that people who body shame others are victims of body shaming

 

First of all, it is important to understand who these body shamers are. They are chronic victims of body shaming and are always uncomfortable with their bodies. As they have such a hateful relationship with their body, they pull others down by body shaming.

 

Realizing this truth can help us forgive those people easily and not take their words to heart.

 

2.     Speak up

 

When someone passes a comment about your body weight or skin colour or hair, speak up. Let the person know it is not alright to comment about your body. Let the person know that you will not tolerate and give space for such a conversation.

 

If it is a friend, give a generous smile and tell him/her that you are happy and you love yourself just the way you are. If your friend wants to drag the discussion, ask whether they are happy with their body. If they are, they should not bother about how you look.

 

If it is an elder who is commenting about your body weight due to concern for you, smile and tell them it is your body type and that you are perfectly healthy. So he/she does not have to worry about you.

 

If it is a stranger who is commenting about your body, tell them to mind their own business.

 

I agree it is not easy to give a reply to the body shamer especially when it is a person who is close to you. But keeping quiet will worsen your mental health and allow that person to criticize you once again. 

3.     Develop a healthy and harmonious relationship with your body

 

If you want to combat body shaming, you have to develop a healthy relationship with your body. The foundation of the relationship needs to be so strong that a derogatory comment about your body cannot shake it.

 

Practice loving affirmations towards your body every day. Stand in front of the mirror and say these affirmations aloud:

 

“I love my body. I send love to each organ, bone, muscle, and part of my body.”

 

“My body is a miracle. I take care of my body by feeding it nutritious food. I enjoy caring for myself.”

 

“My body is perfect for me. I am beautiful and attractive just the way I am.”

 

“I am comfortable in my skin. I accept all of me.”

 

Invest your time and energy in taking good care of yourself. Make your relationship with your body so strong and harmonious that no one’s comment can make you doubt yourself. 

These are three tips to combat body shaming on a regular basis. Our mental health gets badly affected when we quietly tolerate body shaming and drown ourselves in self-doubts. We try a wide range of things to look perfect so that our body shamers speak well about us. But guess what? No matter how we look, our body shamers will always have something wrong to tell if we give them that space.

So, let’s pledge today to

-Stand up for ourselves when someone makes a derogatory statement about our body

-Develop a healthy, loving, and harmonious relationship with our body

-Never indulge in body shaming

We are all in this together!

 

"This post is part of Blogchatter's CauseAChatter"

7 Affirmations to Practice When You Feel Anxious

Our greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another. -William James

Affirmations are a set of words that carry positive vibrations. Repeating them again and again tricks the mind into believing them. And once the mind believes it, we become what we affirm. 

We feel anxious when we worry about the future, when we do not get answers to our questions, and when we feel clueless about the next step. We get lost in the illusion that we have to figure everything all at once. Life is a Journey and there is a Divine Intelligence watching over us. That Higher Power makes sure the sun rises each day and seasons change annually. We do not have to figure everything at once. We do not have to foresee our future and feel restless. We just need to live in the present moment with awareness. 

During the current pandemic times, when uncertainty prevails everywhere, most of us are struggling with anxious thoughts. But as William James said, we always have the ability to choose one thought over another. This is how we can defeat stress and anxiety. 

Affirmations are beautiful tools that allow us to choose healthy and positive thoughts. The right thoughts make us feel harmonious, healthy, peaceful, and happy. 

Here are 7 beautiful and powerful affirmations that you can practice when you feel anxious:

1. I love and approve of myself. I trust the process of life. I am safe. 

2. Everything I need comes to me in the perfect time, space, and sequence. 

3. When one door closes, another door opens. I am willing to change and to grow.

4. I am the Creator of my Destiny. I am the Creator of my every thought, feeling, word, and action. 

5. I am always protected by the Universe. I can manifest everything that I desire. I am a magnet for miracles and blessings. 

6. Everything I need to know gets revealed to me at the right time. 

7. I prosper wherever I turn. All is well in my world!

These affirmations will empower you mentally and emotionally. These words, filled with positive vibrations will convert your anxiety into serenity. You can check out Louisa Hay's book "Heart Thoughts" for more beautiful affirmations. 

Every time a negative thought enters your mind, consciously think 3 positive thoughts or practice 3 affirmations. That's how you can change the script easily! 

Always remember that you are the Creator of your Thoughts. Your Mind is a great machine and it is you who controls your Mind. 

This post is a part of Blogging with a Purpose series in association with Blogchatter. My theme for this year is Physical, Mental, and Emotional Wellness. 

#CauseAChatter

How to Have a Better Attitude Towards Fitness?

Do you have a very on-off relationship with exercising, diet, and fitness? Do you struggle to stay committed to your fitness goals? Do you feel exhausted when you don't get the results that you have been expecting? I totally get you. It takes more than exercising and dieting to have a great relationship with fitness month after month, year after year.  

First of all, fitness is not restricted to how you look on the outside. You may be physically very fit but emotionally, you may be on the verge of breaking down at any moment. And that is not called being fit at all. Fitness means you have a healthy body and a healthy mind. Your immune system is functioning well and you are emotionally stable. Even when people and situations are not according to you, you handle it with grace instead of getting extremely angry and agitated. 

Let's take a look at a few simple ways that will help you to develop a better attitude towards fitness:

Befriend your kitchen and eat balanced, healthy meals. 

If you want to stay fit and healthy always, you need to befriend your kitchen. Instead of ordering junk food, you have to learn to enjoy healthy homemade meals. Eat balanced meals that have proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber in the right amount. 

Learning a few easy and healthy recipes will motivate you to have a healthy relationship with food and your kitchen. Try to eat 80% of home-cooked meals to stay healthy. You can download the app HealthifyMe on your phone to track the number of calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fats that you are consuming per day. You can also find great suggestions for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This App will help you make healthy food choices every day. I have been using it since 2018 and my experience has been fabulous. 

Do not get obsessed with the weighing scale

Your health and fitness cannot be only determined by how much you weigh. Some people are prone to weight gain and some are prone to weight loss. Therefore, obsessing over that perfect number can disappoint you in your fitness journey.

If you want to determine how fit and healthy you are, do it through other parameters such as how well you are sleeping every night, how good your digestive system is working, how good your immunity is. If you feel fresh after waking up every morning, do not have trouble digesting your meals and do not fall sick during season changes, you are fit. Women can check if they are having their periods on time and whether they are painless. Your focus should be on measuring your fitness by these parameters, not by a particular number on the weighing scale. 

Workout at least 4 days a week

4 days a week. 

30 minutes workout session. 

Even if you are very busy, you must take out at least 4 days a week and commit to a 30 minutes workout session to stay fit and healthy. In order to make your workouts fun, mix and match various activities that you enjoy. If you like dancing, skipping, running, and walking, include them in your weekly workout sessions so that you look forward to that time. 

There are 4 elements of exercise: Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, and Balance. To increase your stamina, you must do cardio. For developing strength, you can do weight training. Start with 1kg X 2 dumbbells and gradually increase the weight as your strength develops. You can also do pushups and squats to increase strength. For increasing your flexibility, yoga is the best form of workout. To increase your balance, you can do yoga and planks. 

Reward yourself

In order to have a better attitude towards fitness, you must reward yourself from time to time. Have a cheat meal once in a week without feeling guilty. Pamper yourself with a gift when you maintain your exercise regime consistently for a month. Gift yourself athleisure clothing that you can wear while working out. It will increase your confidence and make you look attractive. 

Take care of your mental diet

The way you are taking care of your daily meals, you must also take care of your mental diet to stay fit and healthy. What we watch, listen, and read impacts our minds more than we think it does. Therefore, be attentive to the content that you are consuming. Make sure that it rejuvenates your mind and makes you feel good. 

These methods will help you have a better attitude towards physical and mental fitness, month after month, year after year. I have personally implemented all of them in my life and have gained tremendous results. Now, my relationship with fitness is a happy and steady one. 

"The best investment you can ever make is in your own health."

This post is a part of Blogging with a Purpose series in association with Blogchatter. My theme for this year is Physical, Mental, and Emotional Wellness. 

#CauseAChatter

7 Magical Benefits of Natarajasana

Life is a balance between what we can control and what we cannot. It is about learning when to put effort and when to surrender. 

A balanced person is a fit and healthy person. Fitness is not only limited to physical strength and wellness. It is also important to be mentally and emotionally fit to live a beautiful life. Natarajasana is a wonderful yoga asana for restoring balance in your life and improve your concentration. It helps in making the mind stronger and calmer. As it is a great stretching exercise, it also develops strength and stamina. 

Natarajasana is the combination of three Sanskrit words: Nata (which means dancer), raj (which means king), and asana (which means posture/pose). The King Dancer Yogic Pose is dedicated to Lord Shiva or Nataraj whose cosmic dance restored balance in the Universe. 

Let's take a look at the 7 magical benefits of Natarajasana:

1. Strength

The Asana provides a great stretch to the shoulder, chest, thighs, abdomen, and legs. As a result, you will feel stronger when you practice this asana regularly. 

2. Flexibility

With the regular practice of Natarajasana, your spine flexibility will increase. If you have tight shoulders and hamstrings, this asana will improve your flexibility and will make you feel youthful. Maybe you would want to dance like no one is watching! That's the kind of magic this asana creates. 

3. Balance

When you are balancing your body weight on one leg, you also learn to balance your mind. You learn to delete the useless junk thoughts lingering in your mind for long. You are able to maintain a better work-life balance. 

4. Concentration

The person who has a great concentration level can achieve success easily in all ventures. Due to the time spend on gadgets and overload of information, we often find ourselves distracted. Natarajasana can improve your concentration to a huge extent. Look at your extended hand in jnana mudra (hand gesture of wisdom). Breathe in and breathe out. As you practice it regularly, you will be able to notice an increase in your concentration level. 

5. Calmness

Natarajasana can alleviate your stress levels and make you feel calmer. The key is to breathe in and breathe out mindfully as you hold the posture. 

6. Better Digestion

As Natarajasana provides a great stretch to the abdomen, it also facilitates digestion. If you are facing any digestive issues, you can practice this yoga asana twice a day to give a gentle massage to your abdominal organs. 

7. Energy

Most of us are used to a sedentary lifestyle that often makes us feel lazy and fatigued. Practicing Natarajasana makes you feel energetic, agile, and fit. The asana works on the mind-body-soul and injects you with youthful energy. 

These are the 7 magical benefits of Natarajasana. As it is the King Dancer Yogic pose, it looks extremely graceful. Practice it regularly to notice the changes in your mind-body-soul. Try to hold the asana for at least 10 seconds. If you are a beginner, you can use the wall as support. With time, your balance and flexibility will automatically increase. 

Want to feel calm, balanced, and strong? Then practice Natarajasana every day. Inhale love. Exhale stress.

This post is a part of Blogging with a Purpose series in association with Blogchatter. My theme for this year is Physical, Mental, and Emotional Wellness. 

#CauseAChatter

10 Ways to Hygge at Home for Emotional Wellness

Recently, I read a book called "Hygge: The Danish Way of Living Well" by Meik Wiking. Hygge [prononounced Hoo-ga] is a Danish word for finding happiness in simple and little things in life such as candles, flowers, sunrises, sunsets, a cup of tea, old songs, a cozy reading corner, classic books, etc. 

In the current scenario of the Corona Virus outbreak, when we are compelled to stay indoors, it is the best time to find and discover our hygge -our safe haven. And once we discover that sweet place, we can enjoy this chaotic period instead of panicking. Everything that is related to hygge makes us feel happy, calm, and safe. 

Hygge is a situation where there is a lot of relaxed thoughtfulness. Hygge is about being kind and loving to yourself. Danes believe that their homes are the best place to practice hygge. They put a lot of effort into making their homes hyggelig. 

Let's take a look at the 10 ways to Hygge at Home for our Emotional Wellness:

1. Light an aromatic candle

According to Danes, Hygge is incomplete without candles. Every evening, light an aromatic candle and meditate for a few minutes. As you inhale the aroma of the candle, imagine divine light healing your mind, body, and soul. Envision your heart radiating love to everyone in the world going through some suffering. Inhale love. Exhale anxiety. 

My favourite scents are lavender, sandalwood, rose, jasmine, and vanilla. 

2. Make a playlist and share with your friends

Create a hygge playlist of 20-50 songs that make you feel happy, safe, peaceful, motivated, and inspired. Share it with your family and friends. Music is a great way to connect to your own self and with your loved ones. 

3. Enjoy Board Games

Spend the time that you are getting with your family by indulging in board games. Whether it is Ludo, Carrom or Chess, engage in a game for that sweet feeling of nostalgia and uninterrupted bonding. 

4. Cook a special meal together

Make an evening special by cooking a special meal along with your family and friends. Time spend with loved ones creates a warm and relaxed atmosphere. 

5. Bring out those photo albums

One of the best ways to hygge at home is to take out all the photo albums and watch them with your family. Relive the most beautiful moments, laugh together and spend a memorable evening. Alternatively, you can arrange your digital photographs in various folders and start a slide show. 

6. Write Notes of Gratitude

Hygge helps us to stay in a state of gratefulness everyday because it is all about savoring the simple pleasures of life. It is all about making the most of the moment. You can start your day by thinking of the 10 things that you are grateful about. You can write little notes of gratitude for your family, friends, acquaintances. Email it to them or give them when you meet them the next time. 

7. Curl up with a Classic Book in a cozy reading corner

Create a beautiful hyggekrog in your home, which means a 'cozy nook'. It is the place in a room where you would love to curl up with a book and a cup of tea. You can put a blanket, a few cushions, and fairy lights to make it your comfy place. Now read that classic book that you have been longing to read for a while. I recently read all the 7 Harry Potter Books within 20 days by creating a cozy nook in my room. And I enjoyed every minute of it. 

8. Get back to a hobby

True happiness and satisfaction in life depends not on what we have consumed but what we have created. When you are compelled to stay indoors, befriend an old hobby. Start painting or calligraphy. Play a musical instrument. Dance like no one is watching.

9. Start a Hygge Journal

A Hygge journal or Happiness Journal is for preserving the most beautiful and endearing moments of your life. They need not be extravagant moments, but rather sweet, simple, heart touching moments that make you smile again and again. 

Write the most beautiful moments that you have experienced in the past month or year. You can relive them whenever you feel a bit low. Alternatively, you can make a bucket list of happy, hyggelig moments that you would like to experience this year. 

10. Appreciate Nature

Slow down and look at the beauty of Nature comforting us unconditionally. Enjoy the breathtaking sunrises and sunsets that we so often take for granted. Bask in the moonlight. Gaze at the stars. Water the plants in your garden. Appreciate the flowers blooming and the birds chirping without any complains. Get one with Nature. Take plenty of photographs. 

These are some great ideas to hygge at home. Hygge is a way of life, a feeling, and a mood that helps you to remain happy with the things that you already have in life. It is a great way to boost our emotional wellness. Let's go within and find our hygge. 

This post is a part of Blogging with a Purpose series in association with Blogchatter. My theme for this year is Physical, Mental, and Emotional Wellness. 

#CauseAChatter

10 Powerful Affirmations to Begin the Day With

“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”- Claude M. Bristol

Our mental state depends on the things that we constantly tell ourselves. Negative self-talk can push us towards stress, anxiety, and depression. Positive self-talk can uplift us to a state of peace, love, harmony, and confidence. Affirmations are powerful and empowering words that we choose consciously to tell ourselves.

When we wake up in the morning, we must create positive and empowering thoughts that will keep us energetic throughout the day. If we start our day with thoughts like “I am late”, “I don’t know what will happen in today’s meeting”, “The traffic is so bad.”, “The weather is so bad”, etc, we will lower our vibrations instantly.

Instead of feeling recharged and energetic, we will feel anxious and stressed about the day ahead. Our negative thoughts occur mostly because we are not aware. Practicing affirmations is training our mind to start the day with positive, loving, and empowering thoughts.

My morning routine comprises saying my affirmations for the day ahead, a session of yoga and practicing a gratitude exercise .

10 positive affirmations to begin the day with

Affirmations have a lot of power. When we affirm something, it becomes our reality over time. You can practice the following affirmations within one hour of waking up in the morning. 

“I am healthy, happy, and complete.”

“I love and approve of myself exactly as I am.”

“I attract loving people in my world.”

“I am at peace with myself and everyone around me.”

“All my relationships are harmonious.”

“I add value to the world through my work.”

“I am a magnet for Divine prosperity.”

“I am worthy of the very best in life.”

“I trust the process of life to bring me my highest good.”

“Life loves me. All is well in my world. Today is going to be a great day.”

How to practice affirmations?

You can write down these 10 affirmations on a notebook or on your Smartphone. While having your morning tea or coffee, open the page where you have written them.

Begin with the first affirmation. Say the words slowly and feel them deeply in your heart. Continue the same way for the other nine affirmations. You will experience a happy and peaceful feeling while saying them. 

Repeat the 10 affirmations again, this time a little faster with a smile on your face. Feel the Universe blessing you as you say each affirmation. This simple exercise will take a maximum of 5 minutes, which we all can spare.

Wrapping it Up

Choosing healthy thoughts with awareness is the kindest thing that we can do for ourselves. Positive affirmations in the morning are a great tool to be in a state of awareness and boost our positivity.  If you start practicing affirmations daily, it will soon become a habit and then a lifestyle. 

We are the Creators of our own reality. We create our reality through our thoughts, feelings, words, and deeds. Therefore, it is extremely important to train the mind to begin the day with positive thoughts.

Start your mornings with these 10 powerful affirmations and you will notice a significant change in your mindset within 2 weeks. If you want to read a beautiful book on affirmations, you can check our Louise Hay’s “You can Heal your Life.”

This post is a part of Blogging with a Purpose series in association with Blogchatter. My theme for this year is Physical, Mental, and Emotional Wellness. 

#CauseAChatter