I am on a mission; a mission to help women love and appreciate their beautiful and miraculous bodies!

Often as women we can be critical about the way we look or the way we feel. We focus on what we don't like about our bodies and strive to be different, rather than appreciating what we already have.

The fact is that when we are constantly focusing on our perceived imperfections, we feel pretty awful (and it's difficult to make any sort of positive change when you're feeling awful!)

So, here are my top five tips to put a spark back into the relationship you have with your body.

1) Show some appreciation

I invite you to start noticing any aspects of your body that you do appreciate. What parts of your body do you like? Maybe it's your luscious locks? Your smooth skin? Or that twinkle in your eyes?

What parts of your body serve you well? Maybe you have skillful hands? Or dancing feet? Perhaps it's your sensitive taste buds that help you to be an amazing cook?

Think about how your body has been with you over the years. Your arms that have hugged your loved ones. Maybe your body has given you children? Perhaps part of you has healed from an operation or injury?

Once you open the door of appreciation, you will notice more and more things that you love about your body.

2) Watch your self-talk

The way we think and speak about our own bodies can be downright mean! Maybe you look in the mirror and think how awful you look? Perhaps you are always telling your partner or friends how much you hate a particular part of yourself? Maybe you are running a constant stream of self-criticism in your mind?

The fact is, we get to choose our thoughts and we certainly get to choose the words we say. So, make a commitment now to think and speak about yourself in a more compassionate way. Notice your self-talk and if you find yourself being negative about yourself, just say ‘Stop!' in your mind and decide to think something more supportive.

3) Eat mindfully

I wonder if you find you are often grabbing food on-the-go, eating whilst doing something else at the same time and not noticing what you are putting into your mouth.

When we eat in this rushed, mindless way, we are not being kind to our bodies. We can end up eating food which doesn't nourish us, over-eating and not appreciating the the food we are consuming.

When we eat mindfully, we eat more lovingly. The idea is to eat more slowly, without doing anything else at the same time and take time to savour and enjoy every mouthful. To find out more, take a look at a more in-depth article I wrote about mindful eating last year (https://smarthealthywomen.com/3-ways-to-eat-more-mindfully/.

4) Move joyfully

We all know that exercise has many benefits, but many of us struggle with making it a part of regular routine. If you find that working-out is low on your list of priorities, start to look at exercise in a different way.

Think about ways of moving your body that feel good. Don't restrict yourself to going to the gym if that doesn't do it for you. What do you enjoy doing? Be open to new possibilities.

You might love dancing, gardening, walking your dog or swimming in the sea. Choose to exercise in a way that lights you up. When you pick something you enjoy, you're much more likely to stick to it (and your body will thank you for this!)

5) Make self-care a priority

Finally, think about ways you can show your body some love. Self-care is another area that can find itself at the bottom of a long list of priorities, however it is vital.

What could you do today to be kind to your body? It doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Maybe you could drink more water, get outside for a walk, relax with a candle-lit bubble bath, give your feet a massage, or do your nails.

There are many simple ways of showing your body you care. Commit to making self-care a priority and notice how it starts to change the way you think about your body.

When you begin to work with all five of these tips, you will notice a profound shift in the way you feel about yourself and your marvellous, magical body. If this article has struck a chord and you would like to benefit from some more loving suggestions, download a free copy of my new ebook, ‘Love Your Body'.