3 Tricks to Enhance Physique Picture

by HealthMatters July 21, 2024, 12:09 am 1.7k Views

It’s that point of yr when physique picture tends to worsen (lookin’ at you summer time!). Observe these three suggestions to assist enhance physique picture throughout the difficult summer time months however preserve them in your again pocket to drag from all yr ’spherical!

woman in white tank top looking down touching shoulder

What’s physique picture?

I speak about this in my finest physique picture books submit. There are such a lot of other ways we may describe physique picture however I consider it because the psychological image you could have of your physique, which incorporates ideas, emotions, attitudes and beliefs towards your physique.

Physique picture is influenced by so many elements together with systemic oppression (the tradition telling you that skinny our bodies are finest and fats our bodies are unhealthy), your genetic make-up, your historical past (together with any trauma), your values, and so forth.

Physique picture therapeutic work is a follow – it’s not a vacation spot you arrive at after which you possibly can relax on the lounge chair and drink margs all day (though wouldn’t that be good?!). It’s a journey. A follow of constant to return residence to your self and to your physique.

Some days/weeks/months will likely be tougher than others and would require extra consideration, power, and charm, and different seasons will really feel somewhat simpler and lighter – possibly you gained’t have to consider all of it that a lot.

Physique picture therapeutic work is about being in proper relationship together with your physique. Take into consideration different relationships you’re in – possibly with a companion, baby, or buddy. Some days you are feeling actually linked with and supported by that particular person and different days you may really feel at odds with them or disconnected.

You may really feel a number of love towards that particular person someday and be utterly pissed off with them the subsequent. It’s the identical expertise for the connection you could have together with your physique.

And as I’m certain we’ve all skilled at one level or one other, relationships take work. Typically onerous work. Being in proper relationship together with your physique takes work too. And that work can appear to be these three suggestions I supply up beneath (and naturally can appear to be different issues I don’t point out beneath – I solely have a lot area in a single weblog submit!)

Tricks to work towards higher physique picture

1. Get interested in what your beliefs about our bodies are.

Earlier than you dive in, I discover it may be useful to have a baseline understanding of your physique picture immediately and the way you bought right here. What are the elements which have formed how you are feeling about your physique immediately? This provides you with a way of context, understanding, and possibly even compassion in your ideas and emotions about your here-and-now physique.

Graphic with quote It can be helpful to have a baseline understanding of your body image today and how you got here What are the factors they have shaped how you feel about your body today This will give you a sense of context understanding and maybe even compassion for your thoughts and feelings about your here and now body

Isn’t there a saying that to be able to know the place you’re going, you need to perceive the place you’ve been? I really feel like I didn’t simply make that up and I’m undecided who to attribute it to however I believe it applies right here :).

Possibly you create a physique picture timeline the place you map out early childhood, school-age, pre-teen, adolescence, younger maturity, maturity, and jot down any reminiscences of experiences or occasions throughout these occasions in your life that influenced the way you felt about your physique (constructive, adverse, or impartial). Possibly you modified a conduct or took some motion (i.e. began weight-reduction plan) due to it and you’ll write about that too.

And/or possibly you do some journaling on the next reflection questions:

What are your present beliefs about our bodies?
Who handed you these beliefs?
Are these your beliefs or another person’s?
The place did you be taught that some our bodies are higher than others?
How robust is every of these beliefs (charge on scale of 1-10)?

2. Get clear on what makes you are feeling higher (and worse) in your physique.

Alright ya’ll. Right here’s what makes physique picture so difficult. It’s dynamic and perceptual in nature – it’s consistently altering based mostly on inside and exterior elements.

Graphic with quote Heres what makes body image so tricky It's dynamic and perceptual in nature - it’s constantly changing based on internal and external factors."

Right here’s an instance of how this performs out:

You get up within the morning, you placed on a pair of dishevelled sweatpants, and also you sit down subsequent to somebody who is greater than you. On this second, you may really feel smaller and possibly higher about your physique.

Later within the day, after you’ve eaten a few meals, you’re feeling somewhat bloated, and now you’re sporting tight denims. You hop on the practice and sit down subsequent to somebody who’s smaller than you. In that second, you may really feel larger and possibly worse about your physique. Your physique measurement hasn’t objectively modified over the course of a day however the notion of your physique has considerably modified.

As a result of physique picture is so perceptual in nature, it may be useful to have a strong understanding of your perceptual physique picture triggers – what are the issues that make you are feeling extra constructive to impartial about your physique and what are the issues that make you are feeling extra adverse towards your physique?

Listed here are some examples of issues which may make folks really feel higher of their our bodies:

mountain climbing
cooler climate
sporting cute snug clothes
comparatively low stress ranges
yoga
getting a therapeutic massage
having a shower
skincare

Listed here are some examples of issues which may make folks really feel worse of their our bodies:

social media
anxious life occasions
PMS or being on their interval
being bloated / experiencing GI misery
comparisons or physique checking
hotter temperatures
sweating
not getting dressed within the morning

What wouldn’t it really feel like so that you can make your individual record? What would go on it?

You should utilize this perceptual physique picture map to assist higher perceive your expertise. In case you’re feeling adverse towards your physique, you can reference your record that will help you get a way of what else could be occurring that influenced that. You possibly can additionally use the map that will help you keep in mind what instruments or actions allow you to to really feel barely higher in your physique so you possibly can pull from them.

Usually this stuff aren’t magic fixes that make you immediately love your physique however if you happen to discover they make you are feeling 5% higher about your physique, that’s a win! We’re aiming for small refined shifts, not perfection (as a result of spoiler alert: perfection doesn’t exist).

3. Lead with self-compassion.

Self-compassion is a part of the inspiration of physique picture therapeutic. Self-compassion entails treating your self with kindness, being conscious within the second of feelings with out judgment, and remembering that your lived expertise is a part of being a human and others are fighting the identical issues. If you wish to be taught extra, take a look at my weblog submit that dives deeper into the the 3 tenets of self compassion.

Self-compassion can be utilized each step alongside the way in which of your therapeutic journey. This too is a follow although so give your self grace as you hone this talent.

Self-compassion entails treating your self with kindness – this contains your physique. This may increasingly appear to be:

nourishing your physique with sufficient meals that feels good
not punishing your physique with rigorous train however as a substitute partaking in motion that feels good
showering commonly and washing your face
going to mattress early so that you get sufficient sleep
resting while you’re drained or one thing aches

Graphic with quote self compassion is part of the foundation of body image healing Self compassion can be used every step along the way of your healing journey This too is a practice though so give yourself grace as you hone this skill Self compassion involves treating yourself with kindness this includes your body

Self-compassion can be utilized while you’re having a tricky physique picture day. Slightly than beating your self up for experiencing adverse physique picture, are you able to speak to your self with heat and kindness – “I’m sorry sweetheart, it’s so onerous to sit down with these adverse emotions.”

Are you able to remind your self that there are such a lot of different folks around the globe which might be additionally having a tricky physique picture day and may you hook up with the collectiveness of this very regular human expertise to really feel much less alone?

Are you able to sit with the uncomfortable emotions and allow them to transfer by means of you quite than pushing them away?

Self-compassion can be practiced while you’re not additional alongside in your physique picture therapeutic journey or while you really feel you “ought to” be additional alongside. Are you able to kindly remind your self that physique picture therapeutic is a follow and journey, not one thing to good or a vacation spot to reach at?

Are you able to recognize this half that tries to handle your therapeutic and needs what’s finest for you? Are you able to remind your self that everybody is on their very own therapeutic journey and everyone seems to be circling their very own mountain to see the identical face time and again. Remind your self you aren’t alone on this journey.