Self Image Series Part 1: Health & Our Self Image

When the topic of self-image comes up, most people automatically go to their physical self image. But physical appearance is not the only facet of self-image; it is one of many facets that holistically make up our self image. We have to consider our overall health, which would include mental health as well as our physical health.

But overall health is not the only category for self image to be affected. We must also consider our social/personal health, our financial health, our spiritual health, and our professional/career health. Those are the five categories I like to look at with my clients in terms of their self-image. Each week going forward I will talk about one of those categories as it relates to our self-image.

For now, let’s focus on perhaps the most obvious category as it relates to self-image, our health. Much of our health comes from what happens inside our bodies, such as diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, etc. Some things we obviously cannot control, like our genetics; but in terms of what we can control, we end up fueling our self image in either a positive or negative way.

Let’s say for example we are content with how we look in the mirror, but we are still not happy with our self image. Why is this? Maybe we have a poor diet that contributes to things like IBS, depression, or cardio-vascular health. In this example, we can certainly see how our self-image may be affected in a negative way! There are countless other examples we can think of that relate to our overall health, but the idea is still the same; a negative self-image as it relates to our overall health.

All of this may seem obvious, but many people lose sight of their health as it relates to their self-image. But it makes perfect sense; how can we have a good self-image if we are not taking care of our health? Our overall health and self-image are thus tied together.

So what can we do about this negative self image as it relates to our health? Obviously, improve your overall health! The first step is to be conscious and aware of where your negative self-image may be drawing from. Once you have made a conscious effort to identify what is affecting your self image, it is time to take action. That may involve actions like improving your diet, keeping up with doctor’s appointments, increasing physical activity, seeing a mental health professional, or quitting bad habits that affect your health, etc.

Whatever it might look like for you, just be aware it will take effort on your part to make it a new habit in your life. It may not be easy, but it may be what you need to positively contribute to a better self-image. Trust me when I say, my own improvements on my physical & mental health have made substantial gains in my self image. Is it the only thing that contributes to my self image? No. But, we can make tremendous progress on our self image when we begin taking care of ourselves physically and mentally.