And I said to my body, softly, “I want to be your friend.” It took a long breath and replied, “I’ve been waiting my whole life for this.”
– Nayyirah Waheed
Now that we’re well into January, how are your new year’s resolutions going? If you’re like most of us, you have probably already slipped back into your normal or default activities. Since most of us seem to make resolutions around eating healthier and exercise, I thought this post on body image might be timely.
It can be so hard not to overindulge over the holidays, and then moving into January we tend to underindulge to counteract the holidays. The issue is that this behavior tends not to be sustainable for most of us long term. It also doesn’t get to the heart of why we were overindulging in the first place.
I love the concept of a dry January where people gain knowledge about themselves when they aren’t drinking from how they may use alcohol as a coping strategy to often how much better they look and how much better they feel from the inside out.
This year I did my own take on this, since I don’t drink anymore (midlife and alcohol just didn’t mix for me), and I’m doing a month of no sugar. As I write this, I’m still in the initial stages of this sugar detox, but I’m hoping to feel better from the inside out at the end of this experiment. I’m also hoping to gain some insight as to the role sugar plays in my own life, and why I can default to using it as a coping strategy when life gets stressful, busy and difficult (like around the holidays).
Here’s what’s to come in this blog: Body image in the new year and what to add more and less of, possible causes of body image issues, and wrapping up with self-care for body image issues. Enjoy and I hope it’s helpful to you!
Body image in the new year:
LESS:
- Body hate
- Depravation
- Beating yourself up
- Self-criticism and self-judgment
- Worth based on size
MORE:
- Body love
- Balance
- Self-love and self-compassion
- Self-kindness
- Feeling good from the inside out
What else would you add here?
Possible causes of body image issues:
- Perfectionism
- Mental health issues
- Postpartum struggles
- Not being able to exercise because of an injury, illness, surgery, etc.
- Inner judgment and criticism
- Comparing yourself to others
- Inner struggles around self-love
- Judgment and criticism from others
- Using food as a way to numb feelings and emotions
- Societal pressures to be a certain size
- What was modeled to you by your own family- how were your parents when it comes to body image? What about your siblings?
What else would you add to this list?
Self-care for body image issues:
- Focus on your own strengths
- Do a daily loving kindness meditation
- Journal about how you’re feelings
- Focus on what your body can do
- Create a self-compassion mantra
- Talk to family and friends about how you’re doing
- Talk to a therapist
What else helps you when you’re struggling with body image issues?
If you’re struggling right now, know that you’re not alone. Many of us struggle with body image this time of year. If you could use more help and support, please reach out to your doctor or a therapist in your area (if you don’t already have one). Know that I’m thinking of you and sending lots of love and compassion your way!
