How to Combat Photo Anxiety and Stop Missing Out On Making Memories: Do you hate having your photo taken? If so, you’re not alone! Hating our bodies and negative self-talk have become so commonplace that it’s almost expected for us to hate having our photo taken or to pick apart our flaws in photos. Especially if we don’t fit the mold of the “ideal” body type laid out by society.
It doesn’t help that this is so often compounded by those around us. Who else had a mother growing up who was always taking photos but rarely actually in them? The irony of it all is that more often than not, when you look back at old photos you wonder what you were ever worried about in the first place. Suddenly after some time has passed and you gain some perspective you can see yourself more clearly (more like your family and friends saw you the moment the photo was taken).
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Photo anxiety can be very tough to navigate, because while we know that we probably won’t hate the photos when we look back on them later, it’s tough to overcome the fear and anxiety that comes with hating the photo in the moment. But, that’s not even the worst part! When we spend our most precious moments worrying about how we look in photos, or avoiding being in photos all together, we are missing out on our lives and on making memories with the people we love!
So, I don’t know about you, but I would much rather learn to combat photo anxiety, than spend the rest of my life missing out on making happy memories. And you’re in luck, because that’s exactly what I am going to help you do!
- Stop Hiding – As hard as it may seem, the first step is to just get in the photos, stop shying away and let the tripod do the work instead of always volunteering to take the photo. Consider not looking at the photos right away if you can, the best way to get stuck in your head and miss out on the moment is to pick yourself apart immediately after every photo you take.
- Mindset Shift – The next step is to start looking at photos in a new, less judgemental, way. Think of it this way, have you ever looked at a photo of your pet and thought “Wow, they look ugly, I should delete this”? My guess is that they could be sitting in a funny position, with their hair messed up, and a dopey look on their face and you would still think “Wow, my pet is the cutest thing I have ever seen!”. This is the way your loved ones feel when they see photos of you, no one is thinking anything other than “There is the person I love!”. If this doesn’t help shift your mindset, try thinking of it in another way. Have you ever seen an amazing sunset, a mind-blowing fireworks show, or an epic concert and wanted to document it with a photo or video only to realise that they can’t do it justice? They can’t document how you felt in that moment, the colours are more dull, and it just lacks that sparkle that it had in real life. The same is true of photos of you, so the next time you see a photo you don’t like, instead of blaming yourself and thinking “Is that really what I look like?!”. Start blaming the camera for not being able to do you justice.
- Desensitise Yourself – Have you ever heard the theory, exposure to the thing you’re scared of will make it seem less scary? This can be used to combat your photo anxieties. Most of us avoid looking at photos of ourselves because we don’t want to feel badly about ourselves, but this is never going to help you get over your fears, it’s only going to perpetuate them. As I mentioned in step 1, sometimes it is best to avoid looking at the photos you take in the moment so that you can be present. But getting used to looking at them later and practising shutting down negative self talk will slowly make it easier each time you do it.
- Gather Reassurance – Talk to trusted loved ones about your photo anxiety, show them some photos you struggle with and ask them what they see when they look at it. The most important part of this, is to resist the urge to point out the things you see and ask if they see them too. That is not the point of this exercise, the point is to find out what they see at first glance without your judgement of yourself muddying the waters. I know this can feel very vulnerable to open up about, but chances are good they have photo anxiety too, and they definitely aren’t going to see the things you see. This exercise will help give you some new perspective and hopefully help you learn to see photos through their, less judgemental, eyes with time.
I hope by now, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel that is photo anxiety. You are not stuck feeling this way your entire life, there is a way out! I know these steps take time, and they will feel really hard at times, but if you can stick to it and keep trying, it will get easier with time. I promise you that!
I hope you found these tips helpful, and if you feel you need additional support to work through this (or any other body image/confidence issues)..Check me out at normalnotwrong on Facebook and Instagram. Or, head on over to my Website to snag your FREE 30 minute call to talk about what you’re struggling with and how we can get you where you want to be!
JENELLE CARTO
Hi, I’m Jenelle! I am from beautiful Calgary, Alberta! That’s in Western Canada, for those of you who just said “where?!” I live with my spouse, who is an airline pilot, and our dog, an adorable Yorkie/Jack Russell mix named Abbie. I work by day as an insurance broker, and I also have a lifestyle blog that focuses mostly on body image, self-love, and breaking down stigmas and societal expectations.
My idea and passion for my business came from my personal experiences and self-love journey. Starting when I was about 10 years old, I grew up with little confidence and body image issues, after childhood trauma triggered an eating disorder. It progressed even further as I became a teenager and started struggling with societal expectations, chronic anxiety, and migraines. This was followed by periods of depression and panic attacks in my early 20s, leading to an all-time low when I finally started dedicating my time to improving my mental health and self-image. I’m sure a lot of you can relate to these struggles and understand just how horrible it can feel living in a world that profits off of convincing us we’re never good enough.
Over the last 5 years, I have learned so much, and have come to a place where my mental health is stable. I have learned to love myself and feel confident and sexy regardless of what the number on the scale says, and I am finally done with the endless cycle of thinking about food, my next diet, and how much I hate myself and my body!
My goal is to share how I did that with as many people as I can, and to make my business as inclusive and welcoming as possible to all those still marginalized by our society. I see you and am trying my best to make everything I offer in my business with you in mind.
If you’re interested in following my journey and getting updates on my budding business as I grow, follow me on Facebook or Instagram at the links below.
