Being comfortable in your own skin

 

We often feel flawed or less than ideal due to cultural, social and propaganda media pressures. Humans are social creatures and aesthetic lovers, and are always comparing one's appearance to the accepted sense of beauty. Yet such beauty is at best superficial and at worst a collective opinion. True beauty lies in being comfortable in one's own skin, and here we will strive to make you comfortable in your own skin.

What makes you uncomfortable?

If you're still reading this, you are probably uncomfortable in one form or another. This part is about recognizing that your flaws and limitations are barriers to your comfort. These deficits can be anything, such as lack of social skills, being overweight, underweight, not physically strong enough, etc.

Why it makes you uncomfortable?

Now that you have identified the source of your discomfort, you are on to the path to self-awareness. Is it internal or external? Do you want to quit smoking because of the harm it does to you, or because you don't want those around you to continue to associate your existence with cigarettes, or even because you don't want to perpetuate the habit in everyone else around you? Do you feel uncomfortable being overweight because it physically burdens you and affects you, or because you don't like what people around you think of you, or both?

Using your discomfort as motivation

When we are motivating ourselves, internal reasons should be prioritized as they are often permanent, while external reasons may change over time and the company we maintain. However, external reasons should not be completely ignored and should be used as complementary sources of incentives. Dieting and exercising to make us look healthier is fine, but the main reason should always be because we want to feel physically fit and strong. Wanting to change ourselves to get the approval of others is only effective for a short period of time.

Taking small steps in the direction of correct path

Once committed to the path of change, we should never expect immediate results. It has taken us a lot of time to become what we are today, and in order to form lasting change, we must start slowly, and patiently introducing changes that are acceptable to our mind and body. For weight loss, start small and walk regularly for about half an hour. Continue walking every day until walking at the designated time becomes second nature, then start adding other exercises to your half hour of walking each day. This is one of the best self-service you can give yourself. If you feel like you're eating too much, slowly start limiting and reducing your intake until you're satisfied with your meal. The road to happiness is long and arduous, but there is no set time frame for this journey to finish, it's your struggle, and you can spend all your time dealing with it.

Self acceptance

At the end of your journey, you may or may not be exactly what you imagined at the beginning of your journey. This final form may never be perfect, but it is better than what we started with, and it certainly feels more comfortable to live in this skin that we have worked so hard to shape. You can choose to go further, or you can live like that and it does not matter what you choose, what matters the most is that you learn to love yourself. Carrying strength, better health, and mind sharper than ever, you can choose to keep this sweat forged body or start forging a stronger body, because the addiction of self-improvement is hard to get addicted and let go, once it starts it is difficult to stop.

So find your ideal self, move slowly and deliberately towards that ideal, chase that ideal to where you want to be, but never forget to love the way you are, because no matter what you are not perfect at any time, you skin will continue to feel more comfortable than before.