What Is Body Image?
Body image is the way we think and feel about our physical body and the way we believe others see us. Basically the things and the emotions that come to mind when we imagine the way we look or view ourselves in the mirror.
Body image includes the way we feel in our own skin, the way we view our body’s shape and size, and the attitudes and beliefs we hold about our body.
Bad Body Day
You feel disgusted in your own skin, and you can’t help but look and critique yourself in the mirror but at the same time, there is nothing you want more than to look away. Aw yes, we all love the feeling, nothing better than having a bad body image day.
Although some of us may struggle with body image more than others generally speaking bad body image days are completely normal. As much as our society loves to preach self-love and body positivity(which I’m all for) sometimes loving and accepting yourself and your body just isn’t a quick fix. We live in a society that markets off us hating our bodies, and I don’t blame anyone that finds it hard.
Working to a place of body acceptance and self-love is a process and takes time. And even then bad body image days will happen and that is completely okay. Don’t let the bad days break you and instead take the time to heal your relationship with your body.
What To Do On A Bad Body Image Day
Understand Where Your Feelings Are Coming From
Often times on days when body image isn’t great we tend to blame ourselves or our body for looking a certain way. Take a step back for a moment and try to understand where your feelings are coming from. We live in a world that profits off of your self-hatred and in order to take your money the things around you manipulate you into hating your body. Maybe your body isn’t that bad after all? Maybe, just maybe you were forced into feeling a certain way about yourself. Don’t let the world around you fool you. Society needs to change, not your body, and until that happens you need to protect yourself.
Body Neutrality Not Body Positivity
Don’t get me wrong I think that the body positivity movement is awesome. Still, at times it can also feel a bit unrealistic. Body positivity is all about addressing unrealistic societal body standards and loving your body under all conditions, no matter what it looks like. I wish we could all love ourselves unconditionally but it is truly a process that takes time and effort.
This is where body neutrality comes into play. Body neutrality focuses on accepting your body and appreciating it for its nonphysical attributes without putting an emphasis on body image. It’s about understanding that your worth is not connected to your physical appearance and focusing on the health and feeling of your body. This approach is perfect for the days when loving the looks of your body is not possible. You don’t have to love the way it looks but you can still love and appreciate all it does for you. This Healthline article can help you learn more about body neutrality and how to practice it in your life.
Distract Yourself
Sometimes on bad body image days, we tend to overthink the whole situation. You can get all caught up in your feelings and begin over-analyzing and judging each and every part of your body. You end up making the situation a whole lot worse. What started off as minor insecurity can turn into a full-blown meltdown. You can choose to simply accept the fact that some days loving your body is harder than others and that is completely fine. Instead of dwelling on your insecurities and being hard on yourself you can distract yourself and focus on other things. Go out, eat something, talk to a friend, exercise, read a book- whatever it is that’ll help take your mind off of things.
{Related Post-100 Reasons To Recover From An Eating Disorder}
Pamper Yourself
I know this tip may sound a bit silly, but for me, it does the trick almost every single time. When you do nice things for your body it reminds you that you’re important and that your body is worthy no matter what you feel in the moment. It also helps change your focus, since you are doing things to take care of yourself, more positive thoughts and feelings about your body will begin to arise.
When I’m not happy with my body I usually take a nice long shower with some fancy soaps and oils and then go a bit overboard with my skincare. Afterward, I put on an outfit I love and do my makeup. By the time I’m finished my mind is in a completely different place and I’m feeling much better.
Social Media Break
Social media can make you feel 10x worse about your body with all the body checking, comparisons, and triggering content. Learning to love your own body is a lot harder around so much competition and negativity. Even if a social media break isn’t an option I would advise you to look after the content you decide to view. Watch out for content creators who promote unrealistic body standards and maybe even find a positive role model. Look for someone with an online platform that promotes positive body image and makes you feel good about yourself.
Check-in with yourself
Make sure that your bad body image isn’t just an escape from an underlying issue that is truly bothering you. Sometimes when experiencing an intense emotion we “take it out” on our body. When feeling stressed and out of control body image can unintentionally turn into a way to regain control. We over-fixate on our bodies instead of what we should really be focusing on. Since our society and the people around us put such an emphasis on physical appearance it can be easier to use body image as an excuse or as a way to escape our true feelings and problems.
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