How To Help A Friend Who Is Struggling With Self Love
Let’s talk about body issues. Now and then, we don’t all feel as comfortable with our shape and size as we should. Negative feelings are more common than you realize. If you have someone close to you who is struggling with self love, you absolutely need to be there for them. Here’s how:
Avoid negativity
While you may never for once dream about calling your friend a derogatory word, you should understand the impact of the terms you use around them. You may be referring to another person or, indeed, yourself, but your friend could well internalize what you say. For example, if you say something like “Yeah, she put on some weight” or “She’s lost some of her curves,” you might think nothing of it. However, these phrases place an unnecessary amount of importance on the body and its shape.
The point is that we should all get out of the habit of using these phrases so freely. They do very little to further conversations and, instead, can make people feel truly awful about their own body image issues or hangups. Catch yourself when you say these things and consider what you’re saying really implies to the listener.
Take the emphasis off of their body
Should your friend be struggling with their body image, the last thing you want to do is put more emphasis on it. When you meet them and start chit-chatting, make sure that the conversation doesn’t always get back to this subject. It can be toxic. It’s all about being conscious about the topics you cover. Whilst body image may always be at the forefront of your friend’s mind, you need to be the one to pull the conversation around.
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Talk about body positivity
The body positivity movement has been hugely beneficial to both women and men all around the globe. Still, don’t make the assumption that everyone knows about it just yet. In reality, some people may have no clue when it comes to what this movement is all about and how it may apply to them on an individual level. If your friend is out of the loop, perhaps it’s time that you filled her in and helped her out.
If you’re the type of person who is fully immersed in the whole #BoPo shabang, it’s time to spread the word. Talking casually about the movement and making it accessible to someone else is one of the most inspiring things that you can do here. You can start small; talk about your personal experiences when it comes to your body and how you practice self-love. In doing so, you may find that your outlook is contagious.
Compliment them on something else
Taking the emphasis off the whole body image thing, it may be worth rethinking how you compliment your friend. Spoiler: Not all compliments have to be about the way that someone looks. Your friend likely has a million positive attributes. They could be a really productive worker, a happy, bubbly person, or a wonderful cook. Think about what it is that truly makes them unique and special.
Once you start making a habit out of focussing on other things, you will see that it’s a really positive step. Of course, when your friend looks fabulous in a certain dress or has a new haircut, there’s nothing to say that you can’t tell them how great they look. However, you mustn’t allow the way that they look to be the main point all of the time.
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Show them how to self-care
Self-care is crucial. You likely know that, but does your friend? Sometimes, all a person truly needs is to learn how to look after themselves. If you can see that your friend doesn’t care for themselves, you are well within your rights to go ahead and say so. Maybe that’s just what they need, at the end of the day. They could be waiting for a wake-up call to change their ways.
You could take things one step further and show your friend some self-care techniques. Why not arrange a date together in which you can do things that improve your mental and physical health? When you and your friend start to make yourselves a priority, you will see that many things change for the better.
Encourage them to be open with you
Never underestimate the power of talking. Your friend may have a whole load of things that she wants to open up about, but doesn’t know where to start. Perhaps you can be the one to get the ball rolling. Let your friend know that you are open to them talking to you about any issues that they may be having right now. They may not be certain about whether they can broach things with them at the moment.
Supporting your friend isn’t merely about being a ‘yes’ woman and telling them what they want to hear. It’s about listening to their fears, worries, and anxieties. It’s about being there for them when they are having an awful day. We all struggle from time to time. That’s a given. But if we pull together, that struggle is much easier to bear.
You don’t have to be a superhero to help out your friend here. Sometimes, even the smallest and most simple things you do make all the difference. Start making an effort to help her out today. You likely won’t believe the effect it has!
