How to build body image resilience

How easily do you bounce back from body dissatisfaction?

Researchers have discovered that body image resilience – or the ability to bounce back from body confidence set-backs – helps protect against body dissatisfaction.

In today’s post, I’m sharing three factors which researchers believe build body image resilience.

Watch or read below:

What is body image resilience?

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from set-backs.  It’s an essential quality for better health and happiness.

In studies looking at women who felt good in their bodies, researchers found they had good body image resilience.

Findings from the Universities of Arizona and Louisiana identified several factors contributing to this resilience:

Family support

Firstly, the support of family can protect against body dissatisfaction.

So if you experience upsetting emotions about your body, talk to a family member who you know will listen without judgement.

Or, if you don’t have someone in your family, consider speaking to a friend or finding a support group on or off-line.

Understand the pressures of society

Secondly, remind yourself that society places a lot of pressure on women to look a certain way.  Experiencing this pressure is therefore natural from time to time.

View the pressure for what it is – a way to sell products and services.

Tell yourself this pressure does not mean you must conform to the ideal.

Reject the airbrushed body ideal

Finally, make the decision to view every image in the media with skepticism.  Assume each one is airbrushed because they probably are!

Shun any ideal designed to make you feel insecure.

I’d love to know what mechanisms you have in place to build your body image resilience.  Please leave a comment below.