My Top 10 Tips for overcoming a negative body image day
Have you ever woken up and immediately felt icky in your skin?
You felt just fine the day before, but today you feel bloated, puffy and generally “off”.
Looking in the mirror becomes a pain and you just want to put your pajamas back on and crawl under the covers.
Been there? I sure have.
I used to have these kinds of days all the time.
The funny part is that I had them even more so when I was about 40 pounds lighter than I am now. Coincidence?
I don’t think so.
2 years ago, I decided I had enough. I was done dieting, depriving myself, binge eating in secret and putting all my worth into what my body looked like. Even though I have done A LOT of inner work when it comes to developing a positive body image, I still have negative body image days.
We all do.
I want to share with you my Top 10 Tips on overcoming bad body image days and not letting them define you, so that you can:
- Stop letting your body image hold you back from living your life
- Shift your mindset and feel more confident
- Stop feeling tempted by “one last diet”
- Understand where negative body image days come from and how to turn them around
- Feel free around food and at peace with your body
Tip 1: Take a step back, literally
First things first, do not go down a negative-thought-spiral.
One bad thought doesn’t define your day, unless you let it define you. Our thoughts have no power over us, unless we choose to give our power away.
It’s very powerful to literally take a step back when these thoughts come up.
Take a deep breath and take a step back. Tell yourself: “No, I will not let this little thought run my day. I will not milk this little thought all day. I am taking my power back right now.”
Tip 2: Analyze what triggered your negative body image
Stress is the biggest trigger for a negative body image day. Especially us women tend to take things out on our poor bodies.
Didn’t get the job you wanted? It’s because of my body.
Had a fight with your significant other? He/she probably wouldn’t have reacted this way if I were thinner.
Struggling to juggle all your responsibilities at home and at work? Sally from the gym always manages just fine, I’m sure I would too if I had her body.
Feeling burnt out in general? I wish my body would look different, I’m sure I would feel better.
Sound familiar? Read Tip 3 on overcoming this mindset.
Tip 3: Realize that your bad body image doesn’t have anything to do with your body weight
Realizing that we take stress out on our bodies can be a powerful way to shift our thoughts into kindness, instead of self-hatred.
It’s not your body weight that causes this particular negative body image day. Figure out the trigger, so you are always aware of how connected it is to your body image.
Don’t be so mean to yourself.
Choose kindness and compassion for your stressful period in life.
Tip 4: Stop being afraid about other people’s opinion
Oftentimes we spiral into a negative mindset based on what other people may think of us. For me, it used to go something like this:
“I can’t have anyone see me like this. What are they going to think?”
We need to stop giving other people’s opinions power over us or assume that they think a certain way about us.
Once you stop giving your power away to your own assumptions, you will be able to embrace your body more and keep choosing kindness and compassion towards yourself.
Tip 5: Understand how to shift your negative body image into self-love
Self-love isn’t about “loving your body”. For me, self-love means that I care enough about my own well-being to put self-care on my to-do list every single day.
Focus on taking extra care of yourself especially on negative body image days. Your body and your mental health will thank you!
AND (this is important): Don’t be tempted to go on “one last diet”
Oh, the “one last diet”-attempt. I know all about it and it never ever works in our favor.
If you feel tempted to give dieting “just one last try”, stop yourself and remember how that went for you last time.
It may feel comforting to plan for the next diet, because it is familiar.
Your brain is automatically gravitating towards it, because it has brought you comfort in the past. This isn’t the rational part of your brain, however.
It is so important to sit with the discomfort of a negative body image day, instead of trying to solve it by restricting and depriving yourself.
Your body is smarter than that and it will rebel against it.
Tip 6: Discover what the negative body image days can teach you about yourself
By implementing all of the tips already mentioned, I want you to really focus on what these thoughts can teach you about yourself.
Where do you feel you are lacking?
Where is your mindset coming from and what does this mean for the rest of your day?
A great learning experience for me is that anytime those old thoughts arise, I know that they come from a mindset of scarcity and envy.
In order to overcome these thoughts, I have to constantly shift into a mindset of abundance. I repeat the following sentences over and over:
There is enough for all of us. I am enough. Everybody is enough.
There is always a lesson to be learned.
Tip 7: Think long-term vs. short-term
I love talking about macro-thinking (long-term thinking).
Personally, I like to keep a list of things that answer the following two questions:
What is the legacy I am trying to build for myself? What do I want to be remembered for?
I go back to this list anytime a negative thought comes up. Chances are, you don’t want to be remembered for your countless attempts to diet or for your abs. There is SO much more to you.
You are here for a reason and a purpose. Try and find yours and create this list to have for bad body image days.
Tip 8: Rethink your values and priorities in life
What do you value in other people? Is it kindness, compassion, loyalty, humor, support? Whatever your values are, know that you already carry those inside of you.
Your values in other people probably don’t revolve around what their bodies look like, right?
Let this sink in for a second. Your values are not about yours or other people’s body shape.
Tip 9: Take responsibility for your body image
You are responsible for staying in your power whenever negative body image thoughts come up.
Take responsibility for the actions you take. Don’t give your power away to toxic thoughts. You are the only one who has the power to change your mindset.
Tip 10: Stop self-sabotaging because of your negative body image
Some of us self-sabotage by beating ourselves up, others self-sabotage by numbing out their emotions. There is so many ways us humans try to avoid uncomfortable emotions.
Commit to feeling the discomfort, while implementing my other tips, in order to feel the feelings and then set them free.
The Takeaway
It all comes down to this: YOU ARE ENOUGH.
You always have been and you always will be. Your negative body image days do not define you.
Use these 10 Tips next time you need a little help and support to get you through your day.
[Disclaimer: The content of this article is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, health care or eating disorder treatment.]
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