In my 30 years of life, I've realized that loving yourself and being comfortable in your own skin is a journey, and there will always be a lot of ups and downs. Some days I feel so confident, both in appearance and ability, and know I can take on anything that comes at me. Other days, I am extremely insecure and vulnerable and judge everything single inch of my body, which in turn makes me feel like I'm doing everything wrong—at work, in my personal life, and even on social media.
I'm not alone in this, since I think it's safe to say that everyone has had problems with self-esteem at least once in their lives, and some experience negative feelings about their body more often than not. Those feelings of negativity can really get to you and can even affect your mental and physical health. "Feeling bad about yourself and/or having negative body image can impact multiple aspects of a person's life," says Rachel O'Neill, Ph.D., an Ohio-based licensed professional clinical counselor and Talkspace provider. "First, focusing on perceived shortcomings can deprive you of the experience of being present in the moment. So for example, if you're out with friends but spending the whole night comparing yourself to them, it can certainly impact the overall experience of being with friends. Next, chronic stress can certainly impact a person's physical and mental well-being. So being concerned about one's appearance may naturally impact one's overall health."