Body Image is Complex
Body image is complicated. And if preoccupation with your body is not allowing you to live a life that is congruent with your values, then it’s time to take a step back.
You have a body. Your body will change. Perhaps in the context of quarantine or not. But change is a guarantee, and a promise. You are alive. Living things change.
I am all for body positivity, but I also feel as though it often misses the mark. (Largely because the expression was taken from a fat-positive movement, and Is now liberally applied in a more universal fashion.) Body positivity is not about #fitspo or yoga pants or a flat tummy or anything visible.
The fact is, you might have a hard time being in your body. That doesn’t mean that you’re doing anything wrong. And it makes me curious about what else is happening in your life. It makes me curious about why your body image experience is at the forefront of your thoughts. And maybe not the forefront, but taking up more space than you would like it to.
I once believed the body image healing was about coming to a place of body adoration. I don’t think that’s it anymore. I think it is possible to have a respectful relationship with one’s body and not feel comfortable in one’s skin.
To me, this is what body image work is all about. It is about noticing and naming your experiences. It is about being in your body. It is about prioritizing self-care, even when it feels difficult. It is about resisting the urge to speak negatively. And finding things to celebrate. It’s about noticing and naming the external forces that are telling you that your body is less than ideal. Telling those forces to back off.
It is about recognizing that your earth suit is only one part of your living experience on this planet.
I’m sorry if you feel uncomfortable, unsafe, unsettled, or maligned with your body. I wish healing for those parts, if that’s possible. And mostly, I hope that you will take good care of your body regardless of how you feel about your body image.
Horndasch, 2018
#bodyimage #bodypositive #bodyneutrality #bodypositivity #allbodiesaregoodbodies #haes #eatingdisorderrecovery #fatpositive #dietitiananna
