I AM WORTH IT!

GulfWeekly’s readers share their views on the topic ‘how poor body image has a negative impact on mental health’, creatively articulating how they overcame (or not!) the crippling pressure to ‘look right’.

 Growing up, I looked in the mirror and saw no flaws. I engaged with my personality confidently; knowing I was skinny never bothered me.

But your first critics are often school bullies. Their harsh comments can kill your self-worth and societal pressure can affect your mental health, even later in life. Rather than taking criticism as a blow,  I sought to learn from it. My self-worth mattered most.

Today, ‘beauty’ has become an obsession – botox, fillers, toned bodies... While using cosmetic advancements isn’t wrong, overdoing them is and certainly shouldn’t define one’s accomplishment. I have tried to create a healthy relationship with my body.
Seek no external validation, but an ‘innate’ one from within, a  habitual practice which makes me glow.