Tips for Improving Your Body Confidence
These tips for improving your body confidence are from photographer Rosanne Olson’s 54 women in her book, this is who I am. Olson included each woman’s thoughts about her body, appearance, and a negative body image. Here’s a Q & A with Olson herself, including her thoughts on how couples can become happier and healthier together.
But first, a quip from Maria Shriver, author of Just Who Will You Be?
“As long as I was trying to anticipate what people wanted from me, as long as I was trying to fulfill other people’s expectations, I was in a losing game,” said Shriver. “That’s what I want to focus on…letting go of other people’s expectations of you so you can own your own life, write your own story and live your own legacy.”
Letting go of other people’s expectations is a big part of improving your body confidence – and so is developing a healthy relationship with your partner. It’s all part of being who you are honestly and authentically, and that’s what both Rosanne Olson and Maria Shriver focus on in their books.
Click the book cover to learn more about this is who I am, and read on for Olson’s tips for improving body confidence for women…
Q & A With Author & Photographer Rosanne Olson
For more information about improving your body confidence, plus several quotations from the women portrayed in this is who I am, read Tips for Enhancing Your Natural Beauty.
1. How could your book, this is who I am, help couples become happier and healthier in their relationship?
“The main message of this is who I am is that of compassion for self and others,” says Olson. “I am trying to promote the message that we can appreciate ourselves even if we are not currently in the desired (elusive) state of perfection (which we rarely, if ever, are). Any time we can look at ourselves with acceptance and love, we enter into a better relationship with ourselves. This can’t help but spill over in a positive way into our relationships with others.”
2. Should couples look at the book together, and will it improve their relationship? Why?
“Using the book as a catalyst for conversation with one’s partner (or child) is a great way to explore feelings that may be difficult to talk about. I have heard from many women who have said they find connection with an image or an essay. I know of a therapist in the Chicago area who uses the book in her office as a starting point for conversation with some of her clients. I know of a woman who was able to share for the first time her story about sexual abuse by her father after reading one of the essays. I also know of a mother of a middle school student who bought 20 books to give to her daughter’s girlfriends.”
3. How are both men and women affected by this book and photos?
“Both men and we women grow up with the image of the “perfect” woman embedded in our brains by popular media,” says Olson. “And though women are the most affected, the men in our culture are trained to look for that “perfect” woman, as well. It creates an impossible standard for both genders. I think the book may be of use because it looks at real women and their stories with compassion. The book helps us see that there are many kinds of beauty-not just the retouched women in the fashion ads.”
For more tips for improving your body confidence, read 5 Beauty Tips for Real Women.
Reader Feedback on this is who I am:
“This is very powerful and beautiful and makes me pause to think about how I feel about my own body. I think that at 56, it’s time to stop the endless negative self-talk about too much weight. These women remind me to try to appreciate more so that the cells can get on with their work. I would like to stop offering that resistance. Thank you for the help…plus, thank you for the beauty and appreciation. That is so obvious…you have created a truly sacred space for these women to be.” Michele-Los Angeles
“I just read through your book “this is who I am” and I am astounded. I am a 17-year-old student who has struggled with appreciating my beauty since the fifth grade. Your book changed how I look at myself. I have always been afraid of being nude because I am so insecure about my body. I have struggled with depression for five years and I attempted to commit suicide – because of the way I look. I am a size 12 and wish I was a size 2. After reading your book, though, I appreciate my body and I appreciate my imperfections. Thank you for publishing this book and I hope you continue to publish them.” Hannah-San Francisco
Do you have any tips for improving your body confidence? What works for you – or doesn’t work?
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Comment by Kendra on 21 August 2009:
My mother made alot of negative comments about my weight and appearance when I was growing up. I became so self-conscious and scared to be myself — and I still am, at age 32! Do you have any specific tips for getting over my mother’s perception of my body and improving my body confidence?
Thanks!
Comment by Laurie PK on 22 August 2009:
Hi Kendra,
Boy, mothers can be hard on us sometimes! My mom always encouraged me to diet, but didn’t teach me HOW to eat properly (proper nutrition, healthy balance of protein, fat, and carbs, etc). I didn’t realize the difference between dieting and healthy eating until I was an adult.
One thing that worked for me — to get fit, lose weight, and improve my body confidence — was to tune into my body. Instead of automatically reaching for a bag of chips or hating my cellulite, I became more mindful of why I was eating or why I hated that part of my body. Becoming aware of the roots of your beliefs or actions can empower you and help you stop them.
I also recommend you pick up a copy of “this is who i am”! It’s an amazing book of real women who have accepted themselves (body, mind, and soul) for who they are…and it’ll change how you see your own body.
I hope this helps…….if anyone else has tips or questions about body confidence, please don’t be shy
share them here.
Laurie