Three Tips for Managing a Bad Body Image Day
Written By Taylor Pisel, LCMHCA, RYT, Vice President of the Winston Salem Eating Disorders Coalition
Chances are you experience days when you are less than satisfied with your body. We are simply conditioned to want to change our bodies in some capacity or to desire to be thinner. It’s normal to experience poor body image from time to time, but we can also choose to promote body satisfaction and acceptance.
This post will give you tips on what to do when your body image is sub par.
1) Reframe: Focus on being fine rather than perfect.
We tend to pick apart our smallest imperfections and flaws. I bet you could ask just about anyone and they would tell you what part of their body they would change if they could. This line of thinking promotes perfectionism when none of us has a chance of being perfect. Chances are you are neither the most beautiful nor the most hideous person in the world. You, like almost all of us, are somewhere in between, which means that you’re probably fine the way you are. Take a deep breath. What if your body is just fine as it is? Where did you get the idea you needed to be perfect?
Activity: Examine your body in the mirror. As you notice a perceived flaw, stop and repeat to yourself “I am fine the way I am.” Repeat this phrase as you notice each area of your body.
2) Reflect on all your body has been through
Did your body do anything spectacular today? You may not think so at first, but upon some reflection you’ll notice that our bodies work vigilantly to keep us alive. Even when we lay perfectly still or sleep our organs are hard at work pumping blood, redistributing fluids, firing neurons, all to facilitate life.
Activity: Grab a pen and paper and find a comfortable seat. Write down all the things your body has done to support you today. In what ways does your body work hard to sustain life? Ex: digested food, regulated temperature.
3) Tune in to body sensations
Mindfulness can be an incredible tool for supporting healthy body image. When we focus on non-judgment we eventually learn to stop the endless litany of criticism directed toward our bodies. Taking a neutral stance about bodies also ties into nicely to the idea of emphasizing being fine rather than perfect.
Activity: Stop what you are doing and find a comfortable seat. Take a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Are you noticing hunger or fullness? What do you see, smell, hear? Can you reach out and notice any textures? Try to soak in as much about your human experience in this moment that you possibly can. Take a neutral, curious approach to your noticing. If you feel hungry, let that be as it is. If you feel tired, let that simply be your experience. Your experience cannot be wrong.