You would never look at someone else and see the flaws that you instantly see in yourself when you look in the mirror. The truth is that you’re likely much harder on yourself than you would be of anyone else. Thankfully, you can use this outlook to your advantage to better your body image for good.

Pull out those old family photos of generations past and take a good long look at the people in the images. Identify the different features you share with your family members. Closely examine the way those features complement each other to create the picture of beauty you see. The way you look at your family members, and their features, is exactly the way other people see you. Try to see yourself in the same light to learn to love yourself from the outside in.

Consider taping a copy of one of those photos to your mirror to remind yourself to take a step back when you turn critical of your perceived flaws. Each time you start to tear yourself apart, take a long look at the photo and remember that you share the beautiful features you see in that image.