In the latest episode of Rays of Light, we explored a challenge many people silently struggle with: feeling uncomfortable in their own skin.
We followed Carene as she discovered how a single painful moment — like an unflattering photo — can shape self-image, and how gentle imaginative exercises and hypnotherapy helped her reconnect with what truly lights her up.
If you haven’t listened yet, you can find the episode here.
For teens, a single photo or social media post can spiral into harsh self-criticism — as we saw in this episode, where 15-year-old Carene began to feel she didn’t measure up after one picture went online.
But self-image isn’t just a teen issue.
Adults often carry similar patterns — inner criticism, comparison, or self-doubt — which quietly influence work, relationships, and emotional well-being.
At its core, self-image is about how comfortable we feel in our own skin and how connected we are to our inner Self.
What Self-Image Really Is
Self-image is more than how we look on the outside. It’s the story we tell ourselves about who we are, what we’re capable of, and whether we’re worthy of respect, love, and joy.
Often, we act in ways we don’t fully understand. We might snap at someone, procrastinate, or feel anxious in situations that seem small — and then wonder, “Why do I keep doing this?”
These behaviors often come from patterns stored in the subconscious, built from past experiences. In essence, they are the voice of the inner child — the part of us that reacts automatically to triggers, long before our conscious mind has a chance to respond.
Understanding that these reactions are rooted in our subconscious is empowering. It shows that self-image isn’t just about how we look or what we say to ourselves; it’s also about healing and nurturing the parts of us that have been shaped by experience, so we can choose our responses rather than being driven by old patterns.
Tools for Feeling Comfortable in Your Own Skin
Building a healthier self-image doesn’t have to be complicated — there are simple practices you can do on your own, along with professional support like hypnotherapy, that help strengthen your inner Self.
1. The “I am” Exercise
Take a moment each day to affirm positive qualities about yourself. Write or say statements like:
This practice reinforces a positive narrative about who you are, gradually reshaping the subconscious patterns that influence your thoughts, feelings, and actions.
2. Reverse Bucket List
Instead of writing a bucket list of things you hope to do someday, try making a reverse bucket list — a list of things you’ve already accomplished or experienced. Include small wins, challenges you’ve overcome, and qualities you’ve strengthened.
This shifts your focus from what’s missing to what’s already true and capable within you.
3. Explore Your Character Strengths (VIA Survey)
The University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center offers the VIA Character Strengths Survey, a research-based assessment that highlights your top personal strengths.
When someone struggles with self-image, the mind tends to focus on what’s missing — what they lack, what they “should” improve, or what isn’t good enough.
Seeing your strengths clearly listed — whether it’s kindness, perseverance, curiosity, humor, or creativity — creates a quiet but profound shift.
It reminds you:
You already have inner resources you may not be acknowledging.
This tool helps both teens and adults reconnect with traits that are stable, genuine, and often forgotten.
It’s a gentle confidence builder and pairs beautifully with the reverse bucket list or any self-reflection practice.
You can take the survey here.
4. Consider Hypnotherapy for Deeper, Faster Support
Self-guided tools are powerful, but they often take time — sometimes months or years — because you’re working through layers of old patterns using the conscious mind.
Hypnotherapy works differently. By accessing the subconscious directly, it helps you shift beliefs and emotional patterns at the source. This doesn’t mean instant transformation or “miracle results,” but clients often notice meaningful changes much more quickly than with conscious-only approaches.
It’s especially supportive when self-image challenges are deeply rooted, repetitive, or hard to change on your own.
As Carene’s story shows, guided exercises paired with hypnotherapy can help teens (and adults) move from constant self-criticism to noticing what they enjoy, connecting with their strengths, and feeling more at ease in their own skin.
A Final Thought
Self-image is not fixed — it’s shaped by experience, connection, and compassion.
When we give space to the inner child, reconnect with what brings joy, and acknowledge the strengths we already have, a more peaceful and confident sense of self naturally emerges.
Small daily practices, reflective tools like the reverse bucket list or VIA Character Strengths Survey, and supportive guidance such as hypnotherapy can all help us feel more at home in our own skin.
Everyone deserves to move through the world with a sense of ease, curiosity, and confidence — a Self that is grounded, resilient, and fully alive.