4 ways to cope with a ‘bad body day’

In this post, I explore what it means to have a ‘bad body day’ and how you can move on from one so it doesn’t ruin your week!

Specifically, I cover:

• Why a bad body day isn’t a sign you’re failing at body image healing
• What a healthy response to a bad body day looks like
• 4 strategies to help you cope when a bad body day strikes

Listen or read below:

What’s a bad body day?

After years of working on my body image, I still have days when I don’t feel great about my appearance. I call this a ‘bad body day’.

If you still have these kind of days, even if you’re doing body image work, you haven’t failed! You’re 100% normal.

A healthy body image doesn’t mean you’ll never have days when you don’t feel bad about your looks.

Rather, it helps you to bounce back from a wobbly day, so it doesn’t ruin your entire day (or week)!

A healthy response to a bad body day is one that acknowledges uncomfortable feelings, but doesn’t allow them to sabotage your long term happiness.

If you’re prepared for down days, you’ll bounce back from distress much more quickly. That’s why having a plan is so useful.

How to cope with a bad body day

When a bad body day sets in, it’s useful to have a few strategies to turn to – like a list of healthy coping strategies.

You may already have a few you know work for you, but here are some suggestions to build into your plan:

Trade expectation for appreciation

I love this really simple technique from Tony Robbins.

Emotions such as frustration, anger, and anxiety often arise when we experience unmet expectations.

When you expect a lot from yourself (including your body), you can miss out on the joy in the moment.

Robbins suggests that once you realise that expectations are ruining your peace and joy, you switch your focus to gratitude. What can you be grateful for in this moment?

When you’re stuck thinking that you hate how you look, it’s because you have some expectation of how it ‘should’ be.

So, maybe you’re comparing it to others, a younger version of you or a societal ideal.

Switch your focus to what you are grateful for about your body in that moment. Is it rested? What does it allow you to do?

Re-connect with your body

When you put your body down or feel hate towards it, it’s a sign you’re disconnected from it. It’s as if it isn’t a part of you.

You don’t trust it because it doesn’t look or behave in the way you want it to. When you’re disconnected in this way, it’s impossible to feel kind or compassionate towards yourself.

To help you re-connect with your body, try a full body scan.

Starting at your feet and working your way up, focus on how each part feels without judgement or evaluation.

Doing this scan will help bring you back into your body and calm you. From this calmer place, you can connect with kinder, healthier thoughts about your body.

Journal or speak out your feelings

Bottling up negative feelings won’t help you feel better. Allowing your feelings out will help to dissipate their intensity.

When you’re having a difficult day, either speak out loud or write out what you’re really feeling in that moment. Here’s something I’ve said to myself recently:

“I really don’t like how I look today. All these negative feelings about my [blank] are coming up for me. I’m annoyed with myself that these old feelings are creeping in again, but I know it’s perfectly normal to have days like these. The best thing I can do is to acknowledge these feelings and be patient with myself. I know that this feeling will pass.”

If you need help to feel your feelings, you’ll find it useful to read, How To Feel Your Feelings.

Be kind to yourself

When you’re struggling with how you feel, it’s easy to start beating yourself up, and believe you’re a failure.

When I’ve felt this way in the past, I thought I was a fraud, and that all the tools and techniques I’d learnt wouldn’t work for me.

Then, I’d remember that this is a journey. You don’t suddenly accept your body overnight. Acceptance occurs over time, and will constantly be tested.

The best thing you can do is be kind to yourself. Tell yourself you’re a human being. Whatever you experience, it’s okay – you are constantly learning and growing.

Make time to do something you like when you’re struggling. Read a book you love, do an activity you enjoy, have coffee with a friend, whatever makes you feel good.

Remember, bad body days don’t disappear forever, but you will get better at handling them.

I’d love to know what strategies work for you when you’re having a wobble. Please leave me a comment below.