[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Comparison is the thief of joy. This holds especially true when it comes to body shape. For people who have bodies that don’t conform to standards of ideal health or limited ideas of attractiveness, the shame and stigma can be a constant companion, robbing them of a fundamental sense of okayness. Imagine your worst bad hair day. Then imagine that state every day, except it’s not your hair, it’s your body. Imagine walking around feeling like you are unfit for public consumption.
If you haven’t been able to shake a sense of body related oppression, you might want to explore a body positivity approach.
What is body positivity?
Body positivity is a social movement and mindset that emphasizes accepting and appreciating all body types, sizes and appearances. It challenges societal norms and pressures that dictate ideal standards of beauty. It encourages the idea that all bodies are valuable and worthy of love and respect. Through self-love and self-acceptance, body positivity promotes a more inclusive view of the human body.
According to
a 2022 research article in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, the body positive movement “originated from fat, Black, and queer activism in response to certain bodies being so rarely visible or held as valuable in discourses and visual media (e.g., fashion or physical cultures).” A more recent incarnation of the movement takes the form of body neutrality, which tries to remove the narrative of appearance, whether positive or negative, from the conversation.
“The discourse around bodies is tired,” declared the pop star Lizzo in 2023. Indeed, body shaming, unrealistic expectations to live up to some hyper-groomed beauty ideal and conventional expectations of body image, seem to no longer fit the polymorphous, gender fluid era that is expanding our exhausted assumptions around body conformity.
How to build a better relationship with your body
Here are seven tips for cultivating a better relationship with your body.
Minimize negative self-talk
Treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding that you would offer to a friend. Identify any
negative self-talk and replace it with neutral or positive observations. Become aware of your inner dialogue and actively move to challenge harmful beliefs, through shifting your self-talk.
Try: If negative thoughts arise, respond with self-compassion. Validate your feelings. Talk to yourself in a positive supportive and encouraging voice.
Curate your social— and your social media—circle
Spend time with people who support and uplift you. Avoid those who make negative comments about your body or others. Similarly, follow accounts and influencers who promote body positivity and diversity. Unfollow those that make you feel insecure or promote unrealistic body standards.
Try: You can encourage the people around you to be body positive by refraining from praising a friend’s weight loss or talking about your diet plan at a family dinner.
Move for the joy of it
When you
exercise for pleasure, strength and accomplishment, and manage to separate movement from obsession or body image, you can get so much more out of it. Learn to move in a way that’s right for you. Appreciate your body for its functionality and capabilities rather than just its appearance. Celebrate your body's strength, flexibility, and health.
Try: Find a form of movement you love, such as pickleball, bowling, roller-skating,
bird watching, etc. Don’t make it about length of time, rather, see if you can enter a flow state while doing your chosen activity that helps you tune into something far deeper.
Wear it loud & proud
Stop trying to squeeze yourself into an ideal. Choosing clothes that feel tight and uncomfortable only aggravates negative feelings around the body. Pick outfits that make you feel comfortable and confident, regardless of societal expectations. Embrace trends that resonate with your personal aesthetic.
Try: Instead of copying a trend, incorporate elements that align with your style and complement your body shape.
Celebrate the what-is rather than the what isn’t
Regularly remind yourself of things you are grateful for about your body. If you can shift your focus from what you perceive as flaws to what you appreciate, you will start to develop a nurturing and understanding relationship with yourself.
Try: If you focus on what your body can do, rather than what it looks like, it may help you become more neutral. Appreciating the capabilities of your body is the foundation of body neutrality.
Reorient yourself around new values
Learn about the body positivity movement and its history. Understanding where it evolved from can deepen your appreciation for its values. Nourish a sense of self-confidence and self-esteem that is unrelated to physical attributes. Choose to highlight for yourself the importance of your accomplishments in various aspects of life.
Try: Don’t feel pressured to love everything about your body—you can feel neutral, indifferent, or simply accepting.
Seek support
If negative body image persists, consider seeking professional support. If you struggle with pervasive body image issues, consider talking to a therapist or counselor who specializes in body positivity.
Try: Make sure it’s a good fit by doing a trial session or consultation with your therapist before committing to a treatment plan.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title="Featured Products" border_width="2"][vc_row_inner equal_height="yes" content_placement="middle" gap="35"][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="176606" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1721425935227{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/irwin-naturals-sunny-mood-75-liquid-softgels"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="176608" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1721425951092{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/yogi-bright-peach-positive-energy"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="176607" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1721425968498{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/force-factor-happy-mood-soft-chews"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
