3 Ways to Stop Hating Your Body Right Now
You will have hard days, and that’s normal. We live in a society obsessed with appearance and thinness, and that affects the way you think about yourself all the time.
You are programmed to feel bad about yourself, so you may feel like you can’t control the self-criticism, frowning at yourself in the mirror, comparing yourself to others, and despairing over your size.
However, you can turn the tide of your body image with some deliberate and consistent effort.
Here are 3 things you can do to transform your body image right now, and every day:
Stop looking in the mirror. Ok, this might sound extreme, but be honest: how many times a day do you obsess over how big your tummy looks from the side or how big your butt looks in those pants? Every time you have one of those private self-critique sessions, you are confirming that your body is not acceptable and must be continuously monitored. Make a commitment to spend less time in front of the mirror, and say something positive to yourself every time you see your reflection, like “You are a powerful and intelligent woman!” You might be surprised by how wonderful it feels to build yourself up rather than tear yourself down.
Do whatever you can to physically feel better. Whenever you’re not taking great care of yourself, those bad body image thoughts can be deafening. Your self-confidence is waning, you’re not happy with the way you feel, and it’s very easy to spiral down into a veritable carnival of self-hatred. Think of 1-3 small things you can do right now to support your body and get more comfortable. Maybe it’s drinking a glass of water, going for a walk, or taking a shower and shaving your legs. Treat your body with respect and build your self-confidence by taking charge of the way you feel physically.
Get to know your body better. This is a little bit of exposure therapy in front of the mirror, and it is powerful. (I know I said avoid the mirror, but this deliberate kind of admiration is an exception!) Take off your clothes and stand in front of the mirror, and really look at your body. Touch it in those unloved places, and talk to yourself about all the things it’s capable of, without any judgment. This will feel confronting at first, but it will transform the way you feel about yourself. You CAN fall in love with your body again, and the first step is getting more familiar with and appreciating the way it looks and feels right now.
The negative thoughts come automatically and unconsciously, so it takes deliberate effort to turn things around. You can control the way you think, the things you do, and what you say to yourself at least part of the time, and the more you practice positive self-care and self-talk, the more natural it will become.
I’d love to hear how things are going for you once you put these practices into place!
