Negative Thoughts About Your Body - How To Manage It

Today, most people’s perception of a beautiful woman is a tall, slim, fair skinned woman. However, not everyone is built with such a physique but still have a beauty of their own. As they say, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder and if you think you are beautiful then that confidence will indeed give you the grace and elegance to be noticed. Sadly, we tend to focus more on the social perception of beauty and tend to find faults with ourselves as we try to fit into that mould. These constant negative thoughts lead to the development of emotions that range from discontentment to depression and hence are extremely unhealthy. 

 

1. Tap into your values and determine the most values-oriented actions you could take. A therapist asks her clients an expansive list of potential values and ask them to prioritize their top five values. These values may include honesty, family relationships, spirituality, independence, health, etc. Clients are then asked to identify a situation that would likely trigger negative body image thoughts and brainstorm as many different actions they could take in that moment to manage these thoughts. Then, they are asked to reference their list of top values and identify the most values-oriented actions they could take. For instance, say you experience negative body image thoughts while getting dressed to go to work. You could decide that these thoughts are too strong, they are impacting your mood, and you should just stay home and avoid being seen today. However, you choose to reference your list of top values which include family relationships and independence, and identify values-oriented actions you could take instead. You decide to call a loved one to share your frustrations or maybe just distract with small talk. You also remind yourself of the importance of showing up to work in order to continue striving for financial independence, and commit to going to work. These thoughts may still be present, but you are not allowing them to control your life. 

2. Write a letter of gratitude to your body and read it when negative body image thoughts arise. During another body image group, the women begin by participating in a gratitude meditation. There are many wonderful gratitude meditations available online  if you’re interested! Then, they are asked to write a letter of gratitude to their bodies, choosing to suspend criticism for just a moment, and taking the time to honor their bodies. As they write this letter, clients are encouraged to reflect on all the ways that their body serves them and enables them to live a life worth living. This letter could serve as a powerful reminder of your body’s amazing resilience and value, when you find yourself criticizing its appearance.

3. Commit to doing one to two random acts of kindness for your body each day. These acts of kindness could vary significantly from person to person but should include any action that makes your body feel good and honors your body’s needs. These acts of kindness could include (but are certainly not limited to): resting when your body is tired, taking a mindful walk, taking a warm bath, putting on a favorite scented lotion, getting a massage, wearing a cozy sweater, honoring your body’s hunger and fullness cues, stretching, meditating, etc. Create your own list of acts of kindness that resonate the most with you and commit to trying 1-2 of these acts each day. Building a better relationship with your body doesn’t just involve battling the negative, but also actively creating positive interactions with your body.

4. Practice self-compassion. You can’t control that these negative body image thoughts pop up in your head, but you do control whether or not to beat yourself up for having them. Instead, it is important to gain awareness of how these thoughts became so embedded in our heads. We live in a society where women are constantly given the message that their worth is determined by their appearance and body size and that they must never be satisfied with either. It’s no wonder that we feel compelled to criticize our bodies and compare them with unrealistic ideals of perfection. As you work towards building a better relationship with your body, practice self-compassion and be patient with yourself. Choosing to honor and accept your body exactly as it is, is truly revolutionary in our society. Rather than beating yourself up when these negative thoughts arise, speak to yourself with the same loving kindness that you would to a loved one.

5. Actively seek and create body-positive messages. Be creative and find ways to surround yourself with body-positive influences. This tip could include following body-positive blogs or  accounts. Create your own pro-recovery and/or body-positive  board. Join organizations and participate in events that promote body acceptance and health at every size. Create and display a collage of images and quotes that inspire you to be kind to your body and honor it. Spend more time with friends and loved ones who do not engage in negative body talk. Serve as a role model for others and avoid criticizing your body in conversations with others. The options for carrying out this tip are endless. Our society, mass, and social media are full of images and messages that promote body shaming and/or unrealistic body ideals. Actively work towards surrounding yourself with very different messages and avoid following accounts that reinforce your negative body image thoughts. 

6.Look Out For Thinking Errors- Most people with a negative self-image tend to think along a few common lines. Recognise these thinking errors and try avoiding them to build a more positive self-image. This includes thinking only in extremes, magnifying things, turning emotions into reasons etc. Realise that thinking negatively makes it more difficult for you to achieve your goals or what you want out of life. Recognising these patterns is the first step towards accepting yourself and building your self-confidence. 

7.Stop Making Comparisons- From early childhood, we begin comparing ourselves with others. As we get older, we compare our self-image with what we see on magazine covers and billboards. Even though we know they have been digitally enhanced, we still aspire to look like them. However, each person’s physique is different and it is not possible for everyone to look like a model. 

8. Recognise Your Strengths- You may have heavy hips but at the same time, you also may have beautiful eyes. Focus on the parts of your body that you love and each time you find yourself complaining about your self-image, remind yourself of these parts. Be grateful for what you have instead of sinking into a victim syndrome. 

9. Look Out For Triggers- Find out what triggers negative thoughts in you and stay away from them for a while. For some people, this may be in the form of magazines while for others it may be certain TV shows or even the company they keep. Surround yourself with positive imagery and positive people who will support you and uplift you instead of simply sympathising with you and letting you believe that you are a victim. 

These are just a few of the strategies that the women in our program have found most helpful in battling negative body image thoughts. As you begin trying some of these tips, I encourage you to remember that the goal is progress and not perfection. These thoughts are common and likely to pop up from time to time but you can become more effective in how you manage them and choose to respond. Remember that a thought is just a thought. It does not determine fact or how you must respond. I hope that you find these tips to be helpful and encourage you to brainstorm your own strategies for building a better relationship with your body. To end, I will leave you with one of my favorite poems - “And I said to my body. Softly. ‘I want to be your friend.’ It took a long breath. And replied ‘I have been waiting my whole life for this."

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                       PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/   

FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                          https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                              

FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com