Looks aren’t everything – a valuable mantra that, while basic, can be instrumental in teaching people that what matters does not necessarily lie on the surface. Despite the importance of understanding where your true value lies, how you look can still have a profound impact on how you feel. With regard to body image, a shocking 50% of Brits report poor self-body-image.
Looking after your physical appearance is not just a means of appeasing others and acquiescing to stringent social norms; it can be vital to improving your own personal health, both physically and mentally. But why should you focus on physical appearance at all, and how might you approach doing so?
Table of Contents
Self-Esteem
Physical appearance is anything but a vanity project. Taking pride in the way you dress and present yourself is a central aspect to building a positive self-image, and a confident demeanour – if not central to who you feel you are as a person. With a little more time spent addressing how you look, you could dramatically improve how you feel in public spaces, or about yourself in general.
One of the more common physical changes that can slowly and subtly change someone’s self-opinion relates to their hair. Via a combination of causes or changes, hair can thin out; male pattern baldness is one hereditary explanation, while stress could be an environmental factor. There are flattering ways that hair can be treated to reduce the impact of these things in the short term, such as hair building fibers that help thicken out thinned areas. A simple intervention like this can work wonders for self-image, while longer-term solutions take hold.
Physical Health
Of those longer-term solutions, physical health and fitness crop up frequently. This is because physical appearance is often innately tied into our physical wellbeing. Naturally, targeted exercises are used to tone muscles and attain ‘ideal’ physiques – but the discourse surrounding ‘body-shaping’ is an unavoidably toxic and subjective one, that can create many more problems than it solves.
A body is beautiful not for its shape or size, but for the confidence with which it’s carried. Addressing physical health can improve confidence in a number of ways, whether improved cardiovascular health leading to better day-to-day endurance, or a good diet leading to glowing skin and better teeth.
Social Life
As well as improving aspects of your physical appearance and confidence, a healthier lifestyle and more involved approach to your personal style can pay dividends for your social life. Boosted energy levels and a better sense of personal style will give you the impetus to make more efforts in social scenarios, and naturally invite friendliness from others in the process.
