4 things you need to know about body image

Over the years I’ve been doing body image work, I’ve learned a few key lessons.

In this post, I’m sharing four key body image lessons I believe you must understand if you want to improve the relationship with your body in a healthy, sustainable way.

Listen or read below:

My body image journey

I’ve been on my body image journey for nearly 20 years. Back in 2005, I decided I’d had enough of feeling bad about myself and my body.

When I reflect on the body image lessons that had the biggest impact on me, there are four that come to mind.

These body image lessons are fundamental principles I believe you must embrace if you want to have a better relationship with your body.

So, let’s get into these body image lessons:

Lesson #1: You don’t need to work on your body

Clients often say they need to lose weight or change their body to be more body confident.

But the way you feel about your body isn’t determined by what your body looks like. It’s determined by your perception of your body (how you think and feel about it), which is heavily influenced by external factors such as the media, family, and friends.

You don’t have to change your body to have a better body image. But you do have to unpack and challenge your conditioning – what you’ve been taught to believe about your body.

It’s only by critically examining and challenging the conditioned perception of your body, that you can set yourself free from body hate and move towards acceptance.

Lesson #2: Accepting your body doesn’t mean you’ve given up on it.

The idea that accepting your body means ‘giving up’ is diet and beauty culture propaganda – insecurity sells their products, acceptance doesn’t.

Because of this, so many women believe that acceptance means giving up on their body – an excuse to stop caring for themselves. They mistakenly believe that they need body hate as a motivator to care for their body.

But shaming your body will never create positive results. You can’t look after something that you hate. When you hate something, you want to punish it, not treat it well.

In contrast, if you accept and respect your body, you’re more likely to make choices that benefit your physical and mental health.

Lesson #3: Just because you accept your body, doesn’t mean everyone else will.

This is a tough body image lesson to get your head around!

When you accept your body, you also must accept that not everyone will.

It can be hard to appreciate and value your body when you receive hurtful or unkind comments from others.

What makes this body image lesson even harder is that body shaming, particularly ‘fat shaming,’ is still seen as a culturally acceptable form of discrimination by many.

But if others can’t accept your body, it’s their issue not yours.

Body shaming and fat phobic comments always say more about the person making them than they do you.

People who shame are dealing with their own insecurities. Although it doesn’t make their behaviour acceptable, understanding this can help you pay less attention to their comments.

Lesson #4: Body image work is a continuous journey, not a destination

Even when you reach a stage where you feel okay in your body most of the time, it’s normal to have days where you have a wobble.

At times like this, it’s important to remind yourself that you’re on a journey.

Body acceptance is not a magical destination where you’ll never have negative thoughts or feelings about your body again. Body acceptance is a practice, which means you must keep practising it!

Building a better body image is a continuous journey of learning, growth, and discovery.

On the journey, there will be difficult times, and that’s completely natural!

And, as your body image resilience grows, you’ll be better equipped to deal with setbacks along the way.

I’d love to know, what lessons have you learned on your body image journey so far? Leave a comment below.