What is self-image?
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How you regard yourself.
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The mental picture of how you believe you appear to others.
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How you picture your physical self.
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How you believe others see you physically.
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Your idea (positive or negative, rational or irrational) of how you present yourself to others and how you are subsequently judged by them.
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A personal assessment of your character, personality, skills, abilities, and other attributes.
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A powerful internal mechanism influencing how you feel about yourself.
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An accumulation of scripts you have been given (consciously or otherwise) and have learned well throughout your life.
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What is involved in creating a self-image?
Your self-image is developed by how you assess the following factors in your personhood:
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Physical appearance.
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Shape of your body.
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Accomplishments. in academics.
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Achievement in athletics.
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Social skills.
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Value system.
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Skills, abilities and competencies.
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Relationship with family, relatives, siblings, peer group, and others.
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Behavior in social and professional situations.
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Background and environment from which you came.
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Roles played in life at school, home, work and in the community.
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Jobs and job titles held.
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Goals, ambitions and aspirations for the future.
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How does your self-image affect you?
It is from your self-image that you:
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Develop labels for yourself.
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Develop scripts as to how you believe you should act to fit the image.
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| If your self-image label is: |
Then your script says you should: |
| fat |
overeat and not exercise |
| drunk |
drink to excess |
| intelligent |
be a good problem solver and decision maker |
| thin |
control your eating and exercise habits, always look chic |
| competent |
be able to handle life's challenges with confidence, be successful in your endeavors |
| friendly |
be easy to get to know, sociable, outgoing |
| negative |
always see the dark, pessimistic side of life |
| handsome/beautiful |
have the looks that appeal to others, trendy fashions and hairstyle, pay close attention to physical self |
| compulsive |
act in a compulsive way |
| depressed |
act in a depressed way |
| loser |
act like a loser |
| winner |
act like a winner |
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Develop expectations for how you are to act and react.
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If you act and react according to the expectations, then you develop high self-concept.
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If you act and react differently from the expectations, you see yourself in a negative light, resulting in a poor self-concept.
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Develop self-talk by which you continuously reinforce your self-image.
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Positive self-talk yields self-affirming behaviors.
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Negative self-talk yields self-defeating behavior.
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Set goals for yourself.
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If self-image is too high or unrealistic, you set goals that are often unreachable or too perfectionistic. You continue to fall short of the mark.
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If self-image is too low and unrealistic, you set goals that are too easily reached, never attaining overall satisfaction.
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If self-image is realistic, you can set attainable goals leading to overall satisfaction.
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What impact does body image have on self-image?
Body image, one part of self-image, is the way people see their bodies in their mind's eye. Body image affects how people view themselves because:
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Physical appearance is the external presentation people make to others.
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Physical appearance is the first quality by which people are judged.
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Our society is very physical appearance oriented, e.g., where thin is in, muscles and flat stomachs are in, etc.
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If you feel attractive, you will act accordingly; the reverse is true if you feel unattractive.
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Your self-image is affected by the ways others react to your physical appearance.
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How does your body image shape up?
The following items are how people assess their body image. Using these items how does your body image shape up? Put an X next to those statements that are true for you
___ I dislike seeing myself in mirrors.
___ I find shopping for clothes unpleasant.
___ I am ashamed to be seen in public.
___ I like to pretend to be invisible in public settings.
___ I am initially shy in social gatherings or when I meet new people.
___ I think my body is ugly.
___ I usually dress in a way to hide my body.
___ I am self conscious about my body in the presence of a person of the opposite sex.
___ I feel that other people must think my body is unattractive.
___ I feel self-conscious in a bathing suit.
___ I avoid social occasions like swim parties, beach picnics, or hotel pools where swim suits are usually worn.
___ I feel that my family and friends are often embarrassed to be seen with me in public.
___ I find that I am constantly comparing my body to those of others.
___ I avoid going out in public because I am so self-conscious about my body.
___ I find it difficult to enjoy activities because I am conscious of my physical appearance.
___ I do not enjoy dressing up for special occasions because I am never happy with how I look.
___ I feel self-conscious sitting in a beauty salon or barber shop because of my physical appearance.
___ I feel self conscious over my weight problem and how it affects my looks.
___ I am always negative and critical whenever I think of my body.
___ I am intimidated by people who have bodies which I believe look better than mine.
If you checked three or more items, your body image is affecting your self-image in a negative way.
Ways to change your body image
It is important for you to keep your body image current so that you will act in a way to reinforce this image, i.e., by eating in moderation, exercising, etc. To help yourself to see yourself as you are:
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Begin looking in mirrors frequently.
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Keep an old picture of yourself next to a new picture of you on the refrigerator and bathroom mirror so that your new image is reinforced.
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Accept compliments on your body size and believe them.
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Go to clothing stores and try on clothes.
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Treat self to new hairstyle.
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Try new make up.
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Try out more stylish clothes.
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Start new activities that you once shied away from because you felt you were too fat, e.g.: take dance lessons, go swimming, learn to ski (water and snow), play tennis, etc.
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Work on improved social skills that enhance your new self-image.
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NOTE: For more information on self-image, look at the chapters Self-Esteem and Self-Affirmations in Tools for Personal Growth
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