Almost everyone struggles with body image. Regardless of your actual size or shape, odds are that there’s at least one area of your body that bothers you. Your relationship with your body is a complex (and political) topic, but there are plenty of practical, actionable ways you can start improving it.
For instance, one way is to become more mindful about media. We are bombarded with images of the exact same kinds of bodies every single day: thin, white, healthy, and cisgender. Even if you rationally understand that bodies are infinitely more diverse than what we’re exposed to, you still start to develop subconscious expectations that your body should look that way too. Unless you want to live in a cave for the rest of your life, you’re not going to be able to prevent yourself from seeing this “ideal” body image all over the media. But you can unfollow the Instagram accounts, stop buying the magazines, and stop looking at the celebrity photos that actively make you feel bad about yourself.
Another way to change your relationship with your body is to talk to your body. Give it compliments. Talk to your body about the fact that you’re trying to change your relationship with it. If you catch yourself insulting your body, try out an exercise I developed called the Five-To-One Body Talk Rule. Every time you catch yourself saying something negative about your body, force yourself to stop in that moment and say five positive things about your body. When you do this, it can create positive changes to the image you have of your body.
Looking for more ways to become more comfortable with your body? Look no further!
