What is body image?
Body image is the way we perceive our bodies and how that perception influences self-esteem. A woman with positive body image has a realistic perspective of what her body looks like and is comfortable with what she sees. A woman with a negative body image has a distorted view of her body, compares herself to others, and feels shame and anxiety about her body. A poor body image can lead to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, dieting, eating disorders, and emotional distress.
How can I develop positive body image?
Body image is a journey of self-acceptance and will take time. By focusing on what our bodies can do rather than how they look, we can move toward appreciation and acceptance.
1. Be critical of the media and messages you are presented with. In subtle ways, cultural influences dictate what is thought of as beautiful, healthy and acceptable. Advertisers attempt to create a feeling of not being good enough to motivate consumers to buy products. Magazines feature articles promising radical self-improvement, sending the message that women are not good enough the way they are. Celebrities place incredible emphasis on the shape of their bodies and follow strict diets and exercise regimes. One third of all advertisements send a message about attractiveness. The message is: looking perfect is the key to happiness and success. And since the “perfection” presented in media is contrived and airbrushed, women are left to incessantly chase an illusion. We are bombarded with these messages, with the average American being exposed to 3,000 ads per day. Learning to dissect the messages the media sends yields power to reject those messages, and replace them with more truthful ones. If we can first recognize the messages as false, we won't buy the idea--and then we won't buy the products. If enough women weren't buying products, the media would have to change.
2. Monitor your own media intake. Beyond meeting media with a critical eye, be aware of the media you elect to include in your life. Are the magazines and books you read uplifting? Do they help you accept yourself and be content? Do the movies you watch make you feel self-conscious about your body? While you may not be able to control everything you hear and see, you can be an active participant in your consumption of media. Doing so helps reduce our tendency to compare ourselves to others, and when we reduce the time we spend comparing ourselves to doctored images we can glean a more realistic perception of our bodies.
3. Stop comparing. In addition to reducing time spent comparing oneself to bodies presented in media, ceasing to compare ourselves to the bodies we see around us can greatly improve body image. Comparing breeds jealousy, a feeling of being inferior, and discontent. Focusing on health and how you feel in your body rather than physical appearance can help you attune to the specific needs of your body.
4. Make peace with your body. How would your life be different if you declared a truce with your body? How do you treat your body? Do you give it proper food, rest, and movement? Do you eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full? Do you wear clothes that fit you and make you feel comfortable? Learn to pay attention to your body’s needs and desires, instead of taking cues from advertisements. You are wise enough and strong enough to know what your body needs; when we honor these needs from within, we build power to resist messages we know aren’t true for us.
Just as you would never examine the temple’s outer appearance looking for flaws in the architecture, picking at our physical flaws detracts from the beauty already present and leaves the beauty within the temple undiscovered. Just as we should not defile the body with tattoos, drugs, or alcohol, we should not treat it as an enemy to be conquered or controlled. Learning to appreciate all of the things your body does for you without complaint can help you improve your relationship with your body.
5. Surround yourself with positive influences. Body image is developed largely from the messages we receive from others, including parents, teachers, and friends. Surrounding yourself with people who build you up, encourage you, and accept you independent of your body shape will help reduce the stress and pressure you may feel to measure up to the expectations of others.
6. Develop resiliency. Regardless of how well you implement the previous ideas, you will still receive messages with the potential to make you feel bad about your body. Here are some tools to help you develop resiliency when these moments arise:
a. Keep a list of things you like about yourself—ten things you like about your appearance, and ten things you like that have nothing to do with your appearance. Recall something on your list when you catch yourself in negativity.
b. Read the stories of other women. Knowing that you are not alone in struggling with your body can be empowering and healing. Read women’s stories on our blog here.
c. Focus on all the things your body allows you to do. This may be as simple as breathing or as complicated as sewing, riding a bicycle, or another hobby or skill. Make a list of these and refer to it in difficult moments. You may want to engage in one of these activities to distract yourself and remind yourself of the things your body can do.
Body Image Reminders:
-Being "thinner" is not the same as being healthier and happier. Work on being happy now.
-Losing weight will not solve all your problems.
-Having the “perfect” body will not give you positive body image.
-Health comes in all shapes and sizes.
-Making judgments about the weight and shape of others impairs your ability to connect with them on a deeper level, and often paves the way for you to make harsh judgments about yourself.
-Reacting to comments about others’ weight (positively or negatively) perpetuates the idea that weight is everything. Focus on the characteristics of others rather than their physical appearance.
-That which we focus on expands. The more we focus on an aspect of our body we don't like, the more it will expand and the more dissatisfied we will be.
Resources:
10 Day Body Image Challenge—The 10 Day Body Image Challenge is a series of exercises developed by WSR to help you improve body image and includes activities like exercising for fun, practicing body kindness, and journal prompts.
Body Prayers by Rebecca Ruggles Radcliffe
Body Traps by Judith Rodin
10 steps for Positive Body Image (NEDA)
10 Willpowers for Positive Body Image (NEDA)
Scriptures
