In a society so focused on youth and appearance, it can be hard to maintain a good self image while aging. People, especially women, are expected to stay eternally thin and youthful. This means having the smooth skin and tight body of a fit 20 something way past a woman’s twenties.
REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
The first step to maintaining a positive self image is to have realistic expectations. That means admitting that even when a person takes excellent care of their skin and body they will not have the youthful appearance of a young adult into their middle age years and beyond. Once a person accepts this, they can move past an appearance-focused view of themselves and see themselves in a new light.
CULTURAL STANDARDS
Having a good self image as a person ages involves bucking the conventional, media driven standard of beauty. It is unlikely that one person alone will change society’s standards, but people are in charge of what they see as beautiful. This involves looking beyond what is advertised in the media as beautiful.
A person has to decide for him or herself what true beauty is and embrace those standards. This works well if those standards have less to do with appearance, and more to do with character. Finding people to look up to for reasons other than their looks is liberating, and can change a person’s perspective of the world.
MAKING CHANGES
The beauty industry has one purpose, and that purpose is to sell products. They do this by convincing women that they are full of “imperfections” that they, the beauty industry, can fix. Cover those wrinkles, color that grey hair, and “fix” the color of your cheeks and lips.
All of this is sold under the guise of making a person look younger and more attractive. Something magical happens when a person realizes that they do not have to play along, and that they are okay with the face they have. Not using makeup can be scary for a woman who has been using it for her entire life, but she can start slowly. Not wearing makeup one day will show a woman that she can show her real face and everything will be all right.
FREEDOM
Making a list of what makes a person special can help them realize what they have to offer the world besides being something to look at. Whether a person is funny, smart, kind or generous has nothing to do with their appearance. All of these attributes are more important than being attractive, and they are attributes that get better with age and experience.
Freedom can also come from self-care. Regular exercise and a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables can make a person feel great no matter what their age. Regular activity and a healthy diet can make a person feel strong and more in control of their health.
Getting older does not mean that men and women have to start feeling bad about themselves. There is so much more to a person than what they look like, and these attributes are what can help a person have a good self image as they age.
Shutting out media that dictates people must be youthful looking for their entire lives also helps. Ignore television ads for “youth serums” and make-up. When people post real photographs of themselves on social media it helps combat the unrealistic ideals set forth by the beauty industry. If a person wants to have a good self image as they age, the most important thing they need to be is 100% themselves.
If this is affecting you or someone close to you, please contact Jeanine today for a free consultation!