A clinical therapist tells you how fitness shapes your self perception, and why it’s important to have a regular workout ritual.
Many factors affect the way you feel and think, but you probably won’t understand all of them. At times, your own feelings and reactions may even seem alien to you. Regardless of this, what really matters is your self-perception, because this reflects how you see yourself.
Appearances count for sure
Your self-perception shapes your life, driving your behaviour, and influencing your motives to change. Maybe you want to possess specific personality traits, or to improve your appearance? Apart from the clothes you wear and your hairstyle, your self-perception is also influenced by your level of physical fitness.
In fact, fitness goes beyond the concepts of thinness, or having a specific body type or shape, because being fit imparts a sense of wellbeing. In fact, maintaining a regular fitness regimen will improve several facets of your life.
Benefits of a regular exercise ritual
- Helps to build a routine. Sticking to a regimen requires discipline and consistency. A regular workout plan pushes you to create a systematized routine, that benefits other aspects of your life.
- Provides a mental break from monotonous work and chores. An exercise routine gives you space to have a mental break from your generic routines, role and responsibilities.
- Balances out the large amounts of time you spend sitting around. Having an exercise regimen curbs boredom, and also helps you control mindless eating.
- Enables you to meet others who enjoy working out and building fitness. Keeping the company of those with similar goals fuels motivation, and also expands your social network. Maybe you can even find a workout buddy.
- Shapes the way you think and feel about yourself. Sticking to your workout plans, is a step towards building a healthy self-perception. So make a plan that works for you, and get going!
Kamna Chhibber is a Clinical Psychologist, and Head – Mental Health, Department of Mental Health & Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare.