TUESDAY: FEELING GOOD

Tune Into Your Own Channel

Think you'll never look like Cameron Diaz? You won't. Believe me — Cameron Diaz doesn't even look like Cameron Diaz in real life! Face it: We're bombarded with images of ideal beauty everywhere — on television, in movies, in magazines, you name it. When we compare ourselves with these unattainable, airbrushed images of perfection, we're always going to come up short. No wonder we pick ourselves apart and get depressed!

The only way out of this trap of negativity is to let go of unrealistic notions of what you should look like. While exercise and eating right are key components to healthy living, accepting and loving your body — working with it rather than against it — are important, too.

Take a good, hard look at where your negative feelings about yourself are coming from. Determine what the source is — whether it's the media, judgment from family or friends, or maybe a bad relationship; you have to identify it first before you can begin to let it go. Looking for perfect? Forget perfect — it's boring! Embrace your perceived imperfections (c'mon, they make you unique) and love who you are. It's the only way to move forward.

JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
Go on a Media Diet

Movies, TV shows, magazines, and other forms of mass media can be entertaining and uplifting, but they also wreak havoc on some people's self-esteem. Want to find out if you're one of them? Use your journal to write down how you feel after reading a magazine or watching a show. If you feel terrible after watching an episode of Desperate Housewives, change the channel and don't look back! When you stop judging yourself against unrealistic standards, you'll feel much better.

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