5 Things to Do Today For a Better Body Image
Maybe you've noticed that your body image has some room to improve. You're tired of not feeling confident in your own skin and all the ways that a bad body image day impacts your whole day. You are not alone. It can feel really overwhelming thinking about where to even start. Here are 5 things to do today for a better body image.
1. Be mindful of how you speak to yourself
Our thoughts are so incredibly powerful! They can make the difference between waking up with a bad body image and staying stuck in that all day long versus moving forward and actually feeling confident. The first step towards speaking kindly to yourself is to acknowledge how your self-talk throughout the day. So often we have negative thoughts we aren't even cognisant of and yet they still have a big influence on us. Once you notice a negative thought, counter that thought with a positive one. This practice may sound simple but is so effective. It may feel unintuitive at first but with time you'll notice yourself changing your thought patterns without much effort.
2. Wear clothes that feel comfortable
How you dress makes a big difference in how you feel in your body. Just think about a day where you wore a pair of skinny jeans that were a little too tight... how were your thought patterns around your body that day? It likely made it more difficult to be kind to your body because of the discomfort you felt. Next time you try on a pair of pants that are a little too tight, see what a difference it makes to put on some leggings or loser pants.And remember this...just because a pair of pants felt amazing last week and today don't feel great doesn't necessarily mean your body changed. There are so many factors that influence how we feel in our bodies from where we are in our cycle to how what we ate the day before influences our fluid levels. Day to day our bodies change and it's totally normal to feel different from one day to the next. Wearing comfortable clothes can make a huge difference in how you feel about your body.And maybe this means it's time to love on your body by accepting a different size and going out and buying a couple of new items for your wardrobe. Respecting your body means lovingly giving up clothes that don't empower you and make you feel good and accepting that maybe the best thing for you and your body image is to treat yourself to some new items.
3. Move in a way that makes you feel good
Movement is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to grow in a connection with your body. When we move our bodies in ways that feel good, so honoring how we feel and what we need with the movement we choose, our breath connects us to our bodies. We grow in gratitude for what our body can do for us.Movement, also, works powerfully to help us feel better physically in our bodies which can help with how we feel about our bodies mentally.The key to choosing movement to help with your body image is to be aware of your motive behind the movement. It's easy to want to do a punishing workout and just focus on calorie burn when you are having a bad body image day but this takes you away from that deep and loving connection with your body that can help turn a poor body image day into a better body image day.Ask yourself questions like, "How do I feel right now?" and "What type of movement does my body need right now?" to help you make a decision to do something maybe more challenging and invigorating versus more gentle and relaxing.
4. Honor your body's hunger & fullness cues
It can be more challenging to honor your body's hunger cues when you're having a bad body image day. Oftentimes on harder days you don't feel as good physically in your body and it can be tempting to want to cut calories or full meals. But your body still needs nourishment regardless. Try and be mindful of the cues your body gives you around food the same as any day, not skipping meals or choosing the low-calorie option out of guilt.Sometimes on harder body image days you may not notice hunger cues like you usually do. If this is you, know that your body still needs food. Here you may have to eat for more practical reasons, out of knowledge that your body needs food rather than the feelings and cues your body gives you. On days like these it's important to still eat at least 3 full meals. Honoring your body's need for food on these harder body image days is a way to practice body respect and kindness.
5. Practice self-care
Self-care is even more important on those harder body image days. And I don't necessarily mean a spa day, though that could definitely be a way to show yourself some love and care. I more so mean the most basic forms of self-care. Things like eating enough, drinking enough water, resting if you need rest, getting out with friends if you need some social interaction. And maybe this also means a little extra care by soaking in a tub with some bath salts and essential oil. On harder body image days it's even more important to show your body love and kindness through the little actions you can do to care for it. We are always going to have harder body image days. As you work on your relationship with yourself these days get fewer but they still happen. The best thing to do for yourself on these harder days is to continue treating yourself with respect, with kindness. Respecting your body and being kind to your body are both things you can do regardless of how you feel about your body, regardless of whether you feel like loving your body. If you are feeling stuck with your body image, I completely understand. It can feel really isolating to work on this on your own. I work with women to help them develop the tools they need to heal their body image and feel confident in themselves! Curious about what working together could look like...check out stories from women just like you that I've worked with.