Question by It's complicated.
I have become very serious about gymnastics in the past year. I train twenty plus hours a week all year. My body is always in pain, and I have random breakdowns where I start crying. I feel like I'm always over weight and ugly. I can rarely hangout with my school friends. I am rapidly losing my top seat on my schools popularity chart and my boyfriend seems to be getting irritated with my time. I am very self conscious about my short and muscular build and often don't eat. Gymnastics is ruining my life but I know I have to keep going. What should I do? Also I cannot stop gymnastics.
The good news is that your main problem is not gymnastics so you don’t have to stop them. Your problem is your negative thoughts about yourself. You can be happy and still keep doing gymnastics, but you need to boost your self-esteem.
Self-Esteem Sorry Situation
Feeling Fat
You’re not alone. Low self-esteem is the #1 problem for teenagers. It comes from your childhood and all your experiences you have to this very day. Here are some of the things that cause low self-esteem:
- Lack of love and affection
- Harsh criticism
- Verbal abuse (yelling and cussing)
- Physical abuse (spankings, hitting and fighting)
- Little attention from parents, brothers and sisters
- Achievements go unnoticed or receive little praise
Popularity Peeves
You have to be careful. A lot of teens make the wrong choices to get the attention (popularity) they never had as a child. Here is a list of common unhealthy choices that might gain some popularity now, but could make things worse in the long run.
- Stop eating to lose weight (anorexia)
- Start smoking, drinking and using drugs (addiction)
- Having sex (pregnancy/STDs)
- Bullying (fighting/violence)
Road to Recovery
For the Future
To change things around is not as hard as you might think. If you recognize and understand what self-esteem is, where it comes from and how to improve it, it’s very easy to control. Here are some things you can do:
- Eat healthy… you are what you eat!!! (SO IMPORTANT)
- Stop and let your body heal when you are in pain
- Offer your heart to others
- Find new passions and have fun! (Arts, books, humor, sports, fashion)
- Ask for help (Close friends and family want to help you)
- Help others who are less fortunate (Do some volunteer work no matter how small)
We take a lot of things for granted in life. You have friends, a boyfriend and you’re probably great at gymnastics. These are great things to find happiness so cherish them, eat healthy and smile. You might even be surprised how much popularity you get from a sincere happy personality.
Related Stories:
- Dear Dish-It: I Have Low Self-Esteem
- Dear Dish-It: My Mom’s Too Strict
- What is Bullying
- Quiz the Coach :: Diet of Champions
