From Nutritional Biochemist, author and speaker
Dr Libby
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Welcome to lovely June.
In the spirit of winter a time of hibernation for
many species I thought this month some time spent in inner reflection might be
useful.
Many of us have limiting beliefs about ourselves in at least one area of
our lives and they can lead to poor self-esteem or confidence.
You may be
thriving in one area of your life, but in others you may lack confidence
for a variety of reasons.
People are often confused about what it means to have
self-esteem. Some think it has to do with the way you look or how popular you
may appear. Others believe that having a slim body will help you gain
self-esteem, while some think you need to have a successful career in order to
have good self-esteem.
To me, self-esteem simply means appreciating yourself for
all that you are, right now.
Positive internal dialogue is a big part of improving your self-esteem. Many
of us say things to ourselves we would never dream of saying to another person.
Really think about the conversations you have with yourself.
Is your internal
dialogue, kind, constructive, inspiring or empowering?
Catch yourself if you
hear negative phrases like "I look fat", "I look old", "I hate my hair", "I'm
not good enough" or "I'm a failure" and begin to explore replacing these
thoughts with positive statements that affirm who you are.
To begin with you may
catch yourself falling back into old negative habits, but with regular effort
you can gradually start to replace this internal dialogue. If you don't like
what's being said, change the conversation - only you have the ability to do
this.
We understand that to be fit, we need to train our body, not just exercise
once. The same is true for our mind. We need to practice training it for
kindness.
Unfortunately, many women take care of their career, homes, pets, partners,
children and essentially everyone around them at the expense of caring for their
own bodies and even their own health. Practice self-love daily in whatever way
you are drawn to, read a book you love, make yourself a nourishing smoothie,
walk with a friend, simply stand outside on the grass with the sun on your face,
write in your journal or draw/paint/sew.
Looking after your creativity can be as
essential for your self-esteem as looking after your physical body.
People, who accept who they are and feel good about their wellbeing, often
emit a sense of calm and content. When we make changes from a foundation of
self-acceptance, our changes are likely to be empowering and long lasting.
Trying to be "good" is not motivating enough. When you decide that you're no
longer going to have coffee and cake everyday, or you're going to eat more
vegetables and move regularly, it must also be with an attitude of appreciation
and gratitude for who you are now.
In order to create a balanced and effortless
relationship with your body, often there are two areas that need to be explored
- food and emotions.
Weight falls into place when we are healthy.
As cheesy as
it might sound - the key to any effective lifestyle change is to care deeply for
yourself and treat yourself accordingly.
In the words of Geneen Roth: treat
yourself as if you are already enough, eat as if you are enough. See, look,
listen as if you are enough. Because it's true.
Simple ways you can improve your self-esteem from this moment on include:
- Do something for someone else
- Exercise outside and soak up our beautiful surroundings
- Write in a gratitude journal each day
- Tell another person something you value about them that is not based on
their appearance
- Become aware of your posture, language (self-talk and what you say to
others) and focus. What you focus on is what you feel.
Recently, we held our Sydney Beautiful You Weekend and then on to Auckland and all set to take great care of those attending.
They are
such special events for so many reasons.
I'm also proud to be the patron of
StarJam, a wonderful charity that empowers young people with disabilities
through music and performance workshops, so they learn new skills, gain
confidence, have fun and grow, educating the wider community of what is
possible.
And this month, I'll be speaking at a fund-raising lunch with StarJam
in Auckland, to which I am very much looking forward to.
With warmth,
Dr Libby
For more information about the Auckland event mentioned, go to: www.drlibby.com |
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