Feeling beautiful has nothing to do with what you look like.
-Emma Watson
It can be hard to feel body positivity coming off the holidays. If this is your experience, know that you’re not alone. Many of us over indulge over the holiday season. Many of us say we’re not going to, and yet it still seems to happen with so much of the holiday season with food connections. Many of us say we’re still going to exercise during the holiday season, and yet end up giving up our exercise routines during this busy time of year.
Instead of jumping on the gym and restrictive eating bandwagons come the new year, I like to focus on compassion and being gentle with myself. Focusing on exercise that makes my body feel better and not worse. Focusing on eating what’s healthy for my body, mind and spirit, which for me means mostly vegan (although I do occasionally eat fish) and gluten-free (because of a gluten sensitivity) and low dairy (because of this same sensitivity). That being said, how I eat and what I eat for my own body, may or may not resonate with you. Take some time and be mindful around your eating, and what makes you feel good from the inside out versus what doesn’t.
Please read on for some short, quick information on: body image after the holidays and what to do more and less of, causes of postpartum body image issues, self-care ideas to help with body image issues.
Body image after the holidays:
LESS:
- Body hate
- Depravation
- Beating yourself up
- Self-judgment
- Worth based on size
MORE:
- Body love
- Balance
- Self-compassion
- Self-kindness
- Feeling good from the inside out
What else would you add here?
Causes of postpartum body image issues:
- A mental health issue like anxiety, depression, grief, PTSD, etc.
- Not being able to exercise especially in the early days
- Comparing yourself to other new moms- social media can be so harmful during this life stage
- High expectations around weight loss and hoping it will be easy and not take a lot of time, effort and work
- Not loving your post-baby body- try to focus on the fact that your amazing body just grew a whole baby!
- Thinking the weight would fall off with breastfeeding- sometimes what we’re hoping for doesn’t actually come to fruition
What else would you add to this list?
Self-care ideas to help with body image issues:
- Focus on your own body strength
- Do a daily loving kindness mediation- inward and outward!
- Journal about how you’re feeling
- 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 other types of self-care help you when you’re struggling with body image?
If you’re struggling to see yourself through a kind and gentle lens, know that you’re not alone, especially this time of year. Body positivity can be hard to find internally when we’re struggling. If you could use more help and support right now, please reach out to your doctor or a therapist in your area. I’m sending lots of love and compassion your way!
