How to Improve My Body Image

So you want to improve your relationship with your body? WELCOME TO THE CLUB, HONEY! Can you imagine the brain space that would free up if you stop thinking about how much you hate your body? We probably would have figured out life on mars and how to teleport by now. Instead we invented the shake weight!

Body image is shaped by culture, media, and personal experience, so to say that the web is tangled is quite an understatement. That said, your relationship with your body can be improved with intentional practice. Sharing a few strategies below to help foster a healthier relationship with your body:

Practice Body Neutrality | Instead of forcing positivity, focus on what your body can do for you. Appreciate your body’s strength, mobility, and resilience.

Cleanse your Social Media | Unfollow accounts that trigger comparison and follow creators who promote body diversity and self-acceptance. Your feed should feel supportive, not judgmental.

Challenge Negative Self-Talk | Notice when you criticize your body and reframe those thoughts. Replace “I hate my legs” with “My body gets me from point A to point B and I’m thankful for that.” When you hear someone else engage in negative self-talk, don’t participate. We don’t need to shame someone for sharing an honest feeling, but we also don’t have to join in on commiseration.

Move your Body in a Way that Feels Good | Move your body for enjoyment and well-being, not punishment. Dancing, walking, or yoga can help you reconnect with your body in positive ways, just as running or weightlifting can, if that’s the movement you enjoy. 

Keep a Body Journal |  Check in with your body every day and write some feelings down. This is a great practice to increase our awareness and connection to our body, and gives us important information about patterns related to our thoughts and feelings about our bodies. We can’t change patterns if we don’t recognize them!