Have you ever felt crummy about yourself or your body and someone told you to just “love yourself” or to “love your body.” Okay….but how?!
Body love has become a movement where women and men are encouraging others to love their bodies unconditionally, no matter what they look like. Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally all for loving our bodies, it’s just not super realistic.
If you’re in a place where you love every part of your body, all the power to you. Most people aren’t, and that’s the problem with body love.
What is Body Love?
So, what exactly is “body love?” Body love is a phenomenon that is meant to signify to, well, love our bodies. As I said before, I’m all for loving our bodies, but it’s just not realistic for a lot of people.
Most people have had body image struggles at some point in their lives. Myself included, I’ve had my fair share of feeling pretty bad about the body I’m in and wanting to change it.
Body love arises because instead of teaching us to hate our bodies, we should love them. The message is there, but how are you supposed to go from hating your body to just magically loving it?
If we think that we HAVE to love our bodies because that is what the media is saying, it can make it that much more difficult when we don’t.
Let’s Try Body Respect Instead
Instead of body love, let’s shift our mindset to body respect. Let me explain… Body respect is saying that you may not always like the body you see in the mirror, but you will always respect it.
As I’m sitting here writing this today, I certainly don’t like the body I’m seeing in the mirror. My face is breaking out and I’m having a pretty bad body image day. Just because I don’t like what I look or feel like, I still respect it.
Body respect acknowledges that it’s totally unrealistic to love your body all the time, and that’s okay. I’m not saying that it’s normal and healthy to hate your body, but it’s also not super normal to love your body all the time.
Our bodies have taken us amazing places, are living through a global pandemic, can hold a child if you’re a woman, and so much more. We need to respect and appreciate the things they’ve done for us.
If you’re at the point in your body image journey where you really do hate your body and don’t appreciate what you see, I want you to think of body respect. Respect what it has done for you. Think and appreciate the places you’ve gone, the friends you’ve made, the people you’ve hugged, etc. Respect that.
Tips to Practice Body Respect
If you’re struggling with how to practice body respect and don’t even know where to begin, try some of these tips.
1. Think of all your positive qualities, that have nothing to do with your body
I want you to grab a piece of paper or journal and write down everything that you appreciate about yourself, that has nothing to do with your physical appearance.
This may look like: I have a contagious laugh. My strong work ethic. The way I treat my friends with kindness. I give great advice. Anything that doesn’t have to do with your body and the way you perceive it.
I’ve said this before, but thinking about the things about yourself that will never change no matter if your body does is so empowering.
2. Shift your thoughts
It’s so easy to have negative thoughts about our bodies. I’m a victim of this as well. I find myself seeing a picture or catching myself in the mirror and immediately having a negative thought. Let’s try and shift this mindset.
If you look in the mirror and think, “my thighs are too big,” try instead saying “I respect my legs because they let me go on walks.” Think of a respectful thought that acknowledges what that body part does for you that you appreciate.
I heard this on a podcast, but if you really can’t think of anything that you respect about your body, just start with thinking, “this is a human body.” If you have a negative thought about your stomach, shift your mind to say “this is a human stomach.”
You’re not saying anything good or bad about it. You’re just acknowledging that you are a human and have a human body. This will eventually build up to respect over time and become easier.
3. Follow the right people
If you’re following someone on social media who makes you feel bad about your body, you need to ditch that.
It’s so easy to see someone on social media and play the comparison game. I’ve been there. I have seen a body on social media that immediately made me feel bad about my own. Ditch these accounts and find ones that make you feel empowered and respectful towards your body.
4. Wear and do what makes you feel good
This is a big one. If you’re wearing clothes that are too small or tight, you are not respecting your body. I like the analogy of shoe sizes. I’m a size 8 shoe, so I’m not going to try and squeeze my foot into a size 5 shoe. Same thing with our bodies.
Find clothing that makes you feel good and beautiful. For me, I love wearing sweatpants, joggers, and sweaters with a high neck. They are what makes me feel comfortable and confident. Don’t force yourself to wear something that makes you feel bad about your body. There’s no reason for that!
You can also utilize accessories for this. I have really been into wearing gold hoops and rings. Just this small act of putting on dainty jewelry makes me feel so much better. Find the little things that make you feel good and run with them.
5. Fuel your Body
The best way you can respect your body is to fuel it properly. I’m sure some of you can relate to this… You ate a little more than usual one day and didn’t work out, so you’re going to compensate the next day by skipping breakfast or working out extra hard.
That is just a recipe for disaster. Our bodies need fuel regardless of what you ate yesterday, today, or in a week from today. Do not deprive your body of what it needs to physically survive.
Body respect is not a linear process. You’re going to feel different every day about yourself and your body. Just remember to respect that, respect where you are, and respect the body that is experiencing it.
xoxo
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