Body Image

Your body image is the way you PERCEIVE your body (not how your body actually looks).

While your body may not change much day-to-day, your experience of your body can change drastically. 

ALL body types/shapes/sizes/weights struggle with this. 

Get curious about why your feelings towards it may change depending on your current circumstances, thoughts, beliefs, emotions, mood, attitude, etc. 

Is something going on that is manifesting as the belief that your body isn’t good enough?

A negative body image can act as a symbolic substitute for something deeper. Your focus goes on the body as a distraction. For example, feeling insecure can translate into ‘I feel so fat’. Or feeling depressed can show up as ‘I hate my stomach’. When you’re feeling more self-confident, negative body image can shift to feeling more positive or accepting of your body.

Your perception of how you look can change depending on how you are feeling emotionally. 

Distinguish between having negative body image thoughts and identifying with them as your core self. You aren’t your thoughts.  When you can notice that you are having these thoughts– and that you are not the thoughts- this can create a sense of separation from them. 

When you can unhook from your thoughts, you have more control over changing them.

Repeat negative thoughts and they will become stronger. Practice kinder, accepting thought and they will become stronger. Think of it like going to the gym to build muscle. It takes consistency, repetition and time.

A healthy body image is a journey. Healing can only happen when you replace cruelty with compassion. 💞