Buzz
Many people feel more energetic and free when they are not wearing clothes. However, some individuals experience significant discomfort with nudity, often due to body image concerns or societal and moral issues. Nevertheless, feeling comfortable in your own skin is a clear sign of self-confidence. There are moments when we find ourselves without a stitch of clothing, such as during showers or changing clothes, so it’s important to gradually get accustomed to being nude.
Steps
Shift Your Perspective
Set Goals and Make a Plan. If you’ve never felt at ease being nude or have always disliked your body, the first step is to acknowledge that you need to change this mindset.
- Set specific goals, such as feeling natural when nude in front of your spouse with the lights on, so you can achieve something within your reach.
- Create a detailed plan on how to reach your goal. Determine how to track your progress, set a timeline for completion (ensuring you give yourself enough time to change), and outline the steps needed to achieve your goal.
- Start from where you are. If you’re not comfortable even while clothed, begin there and gradually work your way toward nudity. If you feel shy about being nude in front of others with the lights on, try keeping the lights on for a few seconds. As you grow more comfortable, gradually increase the duration.
- Don’t get discouraged if you haven’t reached your goal yet. Instead, take pride in yourself for making the effort to achieve it.
Strive to accept yourself instead of worrying about others' opinions. There are many reasons why people criticize your appearance, and many of them have nothing to do with you or your body. What matters is what you think, not what others think.
- Practicing mindfulness, focusing on the present moment and observing thoughts and feelings without judgment, can help you accept yourself and objectively analyze opinions and values related to nudity and your body.
- Remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some cultures and societies idolize a specific body type, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best standard. To understand the concept of beauty during the Renaissance, you can look at Peter Paul Rubens' painting “The Three Graces.”
- Draw inspiration from those who have overcome their fears. For example, consider the courage of Jae West, who, despite struggling with an eating disorder, stood on the streets of London wearing only underwear to promote self-acceptance.
Consider the issue rationally. Remember that self-criticism is the harshest critique. Others are often more focused on their own appearance than on yours. You might think they are scrutinizing or mocking you, but that’s not necessarily the case.
- Try to objectively evaluate your body. Think about what makes you self-conscious. Are you worried about your weight? Pale skin? Freckles? Scars? Sweating? Knowing exactly what bothers you will help you address it.
- Don’t expect yourself to look like a celebrity. Models and actors often adhere to professional standards. The people you see in movies or magazines can afford trainers, chefs, stylists, makeup artists, expensive cosmetics, gym equipment, and special diets. Moreover, magazine images are heavily edited to enhance appearances.
- Remember that you can’t choose your genetics. Physical traits are inherited from your parents, and genetics also determine your ability to gain or lose weight. This doesn’t mean you should abandon your goals, but it’s important to accept that some physical traits, like height, cannot be changed.
Embrace Your Body
Be kind to yourself. Blaming yourself won’t solve anything; it will only make you feel worse. Instead, appreciate and focus on your strengths to reduce anxiety.
- Start by shifting negative thoughts to positive ones. Remind yourself at least once a day that you love your body, have decided to accept yourself, and are committed to feeling comfortable being nude.
- Acknowledge the vulnerability of being nude. Exposing yourself, both literally and figuratively, makes you vulnerable. However, psychologists suggest that embracing vulnerability allows you to enjoy new opportunities and experiences. This vulnerability requires courage, which can boost self-esteem and help you face future challenges.
Undress more often. If you feel uncomfortable or fearful in situations like being nude, you tend to avoid them. This creates a vicious cycle: fear leads to avoidance, and avoiding the issue makes the fear grow stronger. Psychologists use exposure therapy, which involves gradually facing the situation or object that causes fear, to treat phobias.
- Research shows that acceptance-based exposure therapy can help treat body dysmorphic disorder, a serious mental illness that causes obsession over your appearance.
- Exposure therapy can include imagining the feared situation, experiencing it through virtual reality, and finally facing it in real life.
- Exposure therapy is a form of psychological treatment that should be supervised by a specialist. However, you can apply the basic principle: the more you face your fear without negative consequences, the less afraid you’ll become.
Seek others' help to identify your best qualities. It's often easier to notice strengths in others rather than in ourselves. Your friends are no different. Instead of trying to figure out your own strengths alone, consider asking your friends for their opinions.
- This can be a sensitive topic, so it's wise to wait for your friends to offer their feedback before responding. Just because a friend is comfortable helping you feel at ease in your own skin doesn't mean they're ready to do the same for themselves.
Focus more on health and fitness rather than appearance. Instead of concentrating on how you look, shift your attention to improving your health and physical fitness. This approach can motivate you to exercise more, as you're focusing on a positive goal (improving health) rather than a negative one (losing weight).
- One way to shift your focus from appearance to health and fitness is to set tangible physical skill development goals. For instance, mastering a 10-count reverse yoga push-up can make you proud of your body, regardless of its appearance.
Alter your appearance
Exercise regularly. People who exercise frequently tend to feel more positive about their appearance, even if they don't lose weight.
- Take it slow. If you can't turn off the TV and go for a walk, at least get up and walk around the room for a few minutes. Some exercise is better than none. After forming a habit (which takes about two months), you can start to see the benefits of your efforts.
- Engage in cardiovascular and strength training exercises. Both types of exercises help reduce fat and tone muscles.
Adjust your diet. Avoid quick-fix diets for rapid weight loss. Instead, change your eating habits. This method helps you avoid feelings of failure (if you don't lose weight as quickly as desired). The cycle of losing and gaining weight is also unhealthy.
- When planning to lose weight, include essential foods to avoid nutritional deficiencies.
- Your weight loss diet should fit your lifestyle and financial situation. If you can't afford or find the foods in your plan at local stores, or if it requires a lot of cooking (and you dislike cooking), you'll find it hard to meet your weight loss goals.
Develop personal hygiene and self-care habits. To maintain your physique and feel comfortable in your own skin, it's essential to care for your body properly. Hygiene activities include bathing, hair removal, and taking care of your skin, nails, and teeth.
- Many beauty services can alter your appearance, such as spray tanning, waxing, or cosmetic surgery. Some services may negatively impact your health (e.g., prolonged use of tanning beds), so it's important to understand the risks before opting for one or more beauty treatments.
Adjust your gestures and posture. You can enhance your appearance by improving your standing posture and the way you present yourself.
- Stand up straight. This is the most effective way to show confidence and positively influence your body image.
- Although it may feel natural, especially when nude, avoid crossing your arms. Others may interpret this as a defensive or nervous gesture.
Warning
- If you feel depressed due to dissatisfaction with your appearance or suspect an eating disorder, consult a doctor. If you're obsessed with your physique and feel distressed, you might be suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, a treatable mental health condition.
