Some people feel more comfortable when they are naked than when they are dressed. However, most people feel very uncomfortable being naked, whether it's because of their appearance or for moral and social reasons. On the one hand, people who feel comfortable when they are naked have high self-confidence. Because in the end we have to be naked at some point, even if it's just when we shower or change clothes, there's nothing wrong with trying to be more comfortable when we're naked.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Adjusting the Mindset
Step 1. Set goals and make a plan
If you've never been comfortable being naked or have always hated your own body, the first step is to determine that you want to change that.
- Set specific goals, such as feeling more comfortable naked in front of your partner under a light, to increase your chances of a positive outcome.
- Create a detailed plan for how you will achieve these goals. Decide how to monitor progress, deadlines for achieving your goals (make sure there's enough time for you to change), and what actions to take to achieve success.
- Start from where you are now. If you don't feel good about yourself even when you're dressed, you'll need to get over that first before dealing with the feeling of being naked. If you don't feel comfortable being naked in front of other people under a light, try turning on the light for a few seconds while you're naked. As comfort increases, you can extend the lamp life.
- Don't be discouraged if you haven't reached your goal. Instead, be proud that you've worked towards that goal.
Step 2. Try to accept yourself instead of worrying about what other people think
There are many reasons why someone criticizes your appearance, and most of them have nothing to do with your body. What matters is your thoughts, not the thoughts of others.
- Practicing mindfulness, which is focusing on the present and observing your own thoughts and feelings without judgment, can help you accept yourself and allow you to explore opinions and values about being naked and your body from the outside.
- Keep reminding yourself that beauty lies in the eye that sees. Just because a culture and society worships a certain body type, doesn't mean that body type is the best. Take a look at Peter Paul Rubens' painting “The Three Graces” to find out what kind of woman's body was considered beautiful during the renaissance.
- Look for inspiration from people who have conquered fear. For example, consider the courage of Jae West, an eating disorder survivor who stands outside in London wearing nothing but a bra and panties to spark support for self-acceptance.
Step 3. Approach the problem rationally
Remember that self-criticism is the cruelest form of criticism. People are more concerned about their own appearance than yours. Just because you think that everyone is staring at you or making fun of you, doesn't mean it is.
- Try to review the body objectively. Find out what's really bothering you. Are you ashamed of your weight? Pale skin? Spots? Scar? Easy to sweat? Knowing what specifically makes you uncomfortable can help you determine what steps to take to change the situation.
- Don't expect you to look like a celebrity. Models and movie stars are professionals who have to conform to different standards. The people whose photos you're looking at can also hire personal trainers, chefs, stylists, make-up artists, and buy the best facials, exercise equipment, and food. What's more, many of the photos in the magazine have been edited to make them look better.
- Remember that you can't choose your genes. Many aspects of appearance are determined by genes inherited from parents. Your genes also influence your tendency to gain or lose weight. That doesn't mean you have to give up. That means you have to accept that you can only improve on what's already there, and can't change some aspects of your appearance (like your height).
Method 2 of 3: Receiving the Body
Step 1. Be kind to yourself
Criticizing yourself for something you see as a flaw won't change anything and will only make you feel worse. Instead, identifying and focusing on your best features can help reduce stress.
- To make it easier to focus on your best features, do self-affirmation, which is the process of shifting thoughts from negative to positive. Remind yourself at least once a day that you love yourself no matter what, that you made a conscious decision to accept your body, and that you decided to achieve your goal of being more comfortable naked.
- Acknowledge the inherent vulnerability of being naked. Exposing yourself, literally or figuratively, is basically making you feel vulnerable. However, psychologists argue that you must be willing to feel vulnerable to open yourself up to new experiences and opportunities. Realizing that it takes courage to feel vulnerable can help boost your self-esteem and make it easier for you to feel vulnerable later in life.
Step 2. Get naked more often
If you're uncomfortable or afraid of being in situations like being naked, you're more likely to avoid such situations. It will create a bad cycle that turns fear into avoidance which then makes the fear even greater. Psychologists use exposure therapy, which is the systematic and gradual exposure of the situation or object you fear, to treat people with phobias.
- Research shows that self-acceptance-based exposure therapy can even help treat body dysmorphic disorder, a severe mental illness that causes you to obsess over flaws in your appearance.
- Exposure therapy may include imagining the feared situation, being exposed to the situation through virtual reality, and ultimately through real life.
- Exposure therapy is a psychological treatment that should be under the supervision of a trained therapist. However, you can apply the basic principle, which is that the more often you do something you fear without any negative consequences, the more courageous you will be.
Step 3. Ask friends to identify your best features
You will realize that it is easier to see the advantages of other people's bodies than to see the advantages of your own body. So are your friends. Instead of trying to identify your best features alone, ask one of your friends for an opinion.
Since this is a sensitive topic, it's a good idea to wait for your friend to ask for your opinion before you do the same. Just because a friend wants to help you feel more comfortable naked doesn't mean they're ready to do the same
Step 4. Prioritize health and fitness over appearance
Instead of focusing on your appearance, decide that you will achieve a higher level of health and fitness. This will make it easier to motivate yourself to exercise because you will be focusing on a positive goal (being healthier) instead of a negative goal (weight loss).
One way to shift attention from appearance to health and fitness is to exercise with the aim of developing visible physical skills. If you can do ten reverse yoga push-ups, you'll feel proud of your body, no matter what shape it takes
Method 3 of 3: Changing Appearance
Step 1. Exercise
People who exercise feel better about how they look, even if they don't lose weight.
- Take small steps. If you can't turn off the television and take a walk outside, at least get up and walk in place for a few minutes in front of the television. Any sport is better than nothing. Once you've formed a habit (which may take up to two months), you can be successful.
- Do strength training and aerobics. Both can help burn fat and build muscle.
Step 2. Modify diet
Don't diet with the intention of losing weight fast. Instead, modify your diet. The second approach will keep you from feeling like a failure (if you don't lose weight as fast as you want). The cycle of losing and gaining weight back has also been shown to be unhealthy.
- When reviewing a weight loss plan, make sure the plan includes foods from all the major food groups so you don't lack essential nutrients.
- Make sure your weight loss fits your lifestyle and budget. If you can't afford or can't find the food you want to eat at your local grocery store, or your plan requires you to cook often (even though you don't like to cook), your chances of hitting your weight loss goals will be less.
Step 3. Practice good personal hygiene and grooming
You can maintain your appearance and feel more comfortable when you're naked by taking care of your body. That includes bathing, shaving or removing hair, and caring for the skin, nails, and teeth.
Many cosmetic procedures are available to change appearance, from tanning sprays, waxing, to plastic surgery. Some of these procedures can have a negative impact on your health (for example, long-term use of darkening agents), so be sure to study and weigh the risks if you decide to undergo one of these procedures
Step 4. Show confidence with gestures
You can modify your appearance by changing the way you stand and behave.
- Stand up straight. This is the most effective way to show confidence and can affect how your body looks.
- While it may feel natural, especially when you're naked, don't fold your arms. People will think you're protective or nervous.
