In BLOG, Body Positivity

By Kristen Donia —

Thus far in our Body Positivity Series, we have discussed:

Considering all this, at the end of the day the question is, how do we feel good about our bodies? Here’s a short list of ideas in this fresh new year, to get you off on the right foot.

Check Your Self-Talk

Would you ever tell your friend they need to lose five pounds? Could you look your little sister in the eye and tell her she’s not perfect just the way she is? Why don’t we extend ourselves the kindness we give elsewhere? Put this quote on your bathroom mirror.

You deserve the love you keep trying to give everyone else.

Counteract Negativity

For every critical thought you have about your body, counter it with three things you are grateful for.

Look Deeper.

When you look at someone and feel jealousy or envy, dive into that feeling and see if you can transition it to joy. Joy for them and joy for you. Their body is like that, my body is like this, one doesn’t cancel out the other. We are all uniquely and beautifully different and what a cool thing that is. What if all the houses on the block looked exactly the same? How confusing would that be? Our differences make us, us, and if we stop looking at them as threatening, we will be that much closer to discovering our true potential.

Social Cues

Unfollow people on social media that make you feel bad about yourself. Too much drama? Instagram allows you to simply ‘mute’ a person’s feed if unfollowing would cause any unnecessary problems. Life’s short, and there’s no point in spending time looking at or reading about something that does not bring joy.

Start a Gratitude Journal.

Sound intimidating? Let’s make it simple. Find any piece of paper (or the notes app on your phone!) and write down something you are grateful for. It can be anything about your body, your life, something awesome that happened that day – anything! Then the next day, on that same piece of paper, do it again. Once you fill the page up grab another and begin writing two things are you grateful for and continue. Or, go to the store and pick up a journal for under $10 and each morning or evening write three things you are grateful for and one thing you are letting go of.

Check Out New Reading Material

Put down the magazines. Instead reach for more empowering material such as Glennon Doyle’s, Love Warrior or Michelle Obama’s, Becoming. Learning about one another’s struggles and triumphs reminds us of our own strength.

Affirmations

Affirmations allow us to retrain our subconscious mind with more positive self-talk and understanding. Say any or all of these powerful affirmations to yourself throughout the day.

  • I am grateful for my body and all it does for me.
  • I believe in myself and acknowledge my greatness.
  • I allow myself to feel good being me.
  • I accept myself for who I am.
  • I bring qualities of love into my heart.
  • I have hope and certainty about the future.

There are a lot of ways to begin feeling better about your body. We are all on a unique path of learning just what that means to us, but it is important to start somewhere. It doesn’t take long to integrate these healthy habits. Bring more self-love, appreciation, and peace into your life. All we have to do is, start.