Being comfortable in your own skin is up to you, says Kamal Khurana.
Body image is your attitude towards your body; how you see yourself, how you think and feel about the way you look and how you think other people may perceive you.
A healthy body image occurs when a person is able to accept, appreciate and respect her/his body.
If you have a healthy body image, you will be able to appreciate your most attractive features and not dwell on the less impressive ones.
No matter what your scale says, be it a complexion scale or a weighing scale, being comfortable in your own skin is up to you.
This can be sometimes difficult in a society that values unrealistic images. But it's possible to retrain your brain to think positively about your reflection and your body.
Over time, telling yourself that you are beautiful, even if you don't believe it at first, will improve your confidence.
If you would like to become more confident about your body and looks, there are steps you can take to change how you think about your body.
To begin with, make an effort to appreciate yourself and your appearance each day.
Start off your morning by exposing yourself to something positive: Begin the day in a good place.
To overcome the negativity, work on feeling good about yourself the second you wake up.
Identify what you love about your body.
If you are insecure about your body, you will mostly focus on what you think is wrong with it.
Instead of replaying those same old ideas in your thoughts, try focusing your attention on what you like about your body.
Avoid weighing yourself every day and obsessing over your appearance in the mirror: 'Checking' is common in people with body image struggles, but you can try to change these patterns.
This way you can direct your attention away from negative thoughts about your body and toward more positive things in your life
Think of your body in terms of function over form: Maybe you don't have a flat stomach or muscular biceps.
You may not have the hair colour, skin complexion or eye colour you want. However, stop thinking of your body in terms of how it looks.
Instead, be grateful that your body is fully functional.
Work out with the goal of caring for your body: It can help reduce stress and lessen symptoms of depression and anxiety, both of which can contribute to a poor body image.
If negative thoughts about your body become overwhelming and you find it hard to give up perfectionist habits about food, weight, or exercise, consult your doctor or a therapist or a counsellor.
*Image posted only for representational purposes. Photograph: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com
