According to 2015 research conducted by the app Happify, 89% of women are unhappy with their weight. Similarly, a study conducted by REAL magazine in the UK found that merely 3% of the 5,000 women surveyed were completely happy with their bodies. Those are crushing numbers, although not completely surprising given the unrealistic body standards society has set for women.

But what do I know about learning to accept and eventually love your body? Well, about a year ago, I began recovering from anorexia nervosa. I was at a perfectly healthy weight before my eating disorder, yet I was extremely dissatisfied with the way I looked and took striving for perfection to an extreme. I became addicted to losing weight because it made me feel good (although no matter how thin I was, I was never fully satisfied and never ever happy with my body). Eventually, I ended up dangerously underweight and in the hospital. But that was a year ago. Today, I am once again at a healthy weight, and, most importantly, I love my body. I'm confident in who I am and I am never counting a single calorie ever again. Trust me: If I can learn to do it, so can you. So here are six tips to learn to love your body:

1. Look at your unclothed body in the mirror more often

This one is just a matter of science. Our minds get habituated to images we see often, so the more you look at yourself in the mirror, the more you will accept and even like what you see. That's why we often prefer the way we look in a mirror to the way we appear in photos; we look at ourselves in mirrors a lot more often, and since we are more habituated to seeing that mirrored image, it naturally pleases our brain more. Therefore, the more you look at your naked body in a mirror, the more likely you are to begin liking it.

2. Say positive affirmations to yourself out loud in the mirror

Another psychology trick: Say something out loud to yourself consistently, and eventually you will convince your brain that the statement is true. Make eye contact with yourself in the mirror as you repeat phrases like: "You are worthy," "You are deserving of love and respect," "You look HOT AF," "You're a queen and you're killing it," "Your body is perfect the way it is," and "You deserve to eat."

3. Practice self-care

Pamper yourself and take time to relax. For me, this means having some nights where I take a warm shower, put on a face mask and then watch Gossip Girl on Netflix. Take a bubble bath, paint your nails, meditate, pray, do whatever you need to wind down and relax. The more you take care of your body, the more likely you are to see it as your home and something very worthy of love.

4. Write down a list of things you love about yourself that have nothing to do with appearance

One of the biggest misconceptions that fuels body dissatisfaction is the idea that our weight dictates our value/worth. Society is at fault for this; we're taught that being thin = being healthy, disciplined, and worthy, whereas being fat = being unhealthy, lazy, and unworthy. Here's the thing: The shape/size of your body has nothing to do with ANY of those things. I know really lazy people who're thin, and really active, fit people who are overweight. So make a list of qualities that you love about yourself, things that will remain the same no matter what weight you are. This was the biggest thing to help me overcome my insecurities about my body. I realized how much I have to offer and my body is simply part of that package of awesome things that make me unique.

5. Think through your insecure thoughts logically

A lot of times, the thoughts we have about our bodies are completely irrational. For instance, I might think, "If I gain weight, people won't like me." But then I hit the pause button, and I think about whether that actually makes logical, rational sense. Of course it doesn't, I realize. People like me because of who I am, not because of how I look. Sometimes just recognizing that the negative thoughts we have towards our bodies don't make any logical sense can really help you to realize that you're perfect the way you are.

6. Try to see yourself the way your parents or best friend see you

99% of the time, we are our own worst critics. For example, if your best friend told you she was feeling poorly about her body, you'd probably look at her and be like, "You're crazy! You're smart and funny and kind and absolutely gorgeous." But somehow we just think differently when it comes to ourselves. So the next time you're having trouble with negative body image, imagine what you would think if your best friend said she was having those same negative thoughts. If you'd think she was crazy because she's incredible and beautiful, spoiler alert: The same goes for you.

You could also try reaching out to your parents or close friends and asking them how they honestly see you, what they like about you, etc. It's not needy or asking for attention. It's you trying to see yourself through the eyes of people who know you and really care about you, and that's something we should all be doing. Personally, I'd be MORE than happy to tell a friend why I care about him/her if they were to reach out to me.

I won't sugarcoat it: Learning to love your body is really difficult. It takes a lot of time until you're able to convince your brain that you are perfect the way you are. But it's not impossible, and with enough strength, patience, and determination, you absolutely can overpower the voice in your head that's telling you that you're not good enough. I promise you, you are good enough. You are worthy. You are gorgeous and so, so capable of doing amazing things. You just have to learn to see it for yourself.