It’s no secret that eating well, and regular exercise, is the way to good health. However, psychology says that there’s more to fitness than just dieting and working out. Being compassionate toward one’s self has proven to be a more effective way to achieve body goals.

Body positivity is a movement that encourages people to accept themselves and others, no matter the shape and size. Bright Side dove deep into how being kinder to one’s self is a factor in being healthy and well.

Strict dieting and exercise might lead to negative consequences.

Accepting your body and being optimistic about it helps you to focus on aspects of your health other than weight or unrealistic body image standards. Gary Bennett, a professor of psychology and neuroscience, said that the efforts of changing our shape take a toll on our emotions and can lead to riskier consequences of obesity.

A softer approach can provide long-lasting results.

Instead, focusing on adopting self-care practices and veering away from basing one’s value on the weight seen on a scale can result in better outcomes, supported by a movement and study, Health at Every Size (HAES). The study showed that individuals who participated in the HAES program reported maintaining a stable weight and improved levels of self-esteem, blood pressure, and depression.

Invision/Invision/East News, Joel Ryan/Invision/AP/East News

By being positive, you can boost your mood, improve performance, and decrease social anxiety. This optimistic point of view helps create and maintain healthy habits, which results in a feedback loop that can help people feel better about themselves and see consistent improvement. The more you take care of yourself, the better you feel, and you will be more inclined to maintain your new body.

ROBYN BECK/AFP/East News,

For comedian Rebel Wilson, being positive can mean that improving yourself has no limits, no matter your age or size. In an interview, she shared how her Hollywood team didn’t understand why she would want to lose weight when she was earning millions of dollars as the funny fat girl. But she was firm on her decision to make the change and get healthy. Wilson went on to encourage others who might be struggling with the same health issues and said that it’s never too late to be the best version of yourself.

How you can be kinder to yourself

There’s no single solution to keeping a positive body image. However, there are a few practices and tips that can help keep it in check.

1. Maintain a positive self-talk attitude when you have negative thoughts about yourself.