If there’s one thing we know for sure it’s that body’s change. Whether this change comes through aging, parenthood, surgery, or lifestyle, your remarkable body can stretch, shrink, create life, break, bend, and heal.
And if there’s another thing that remains certain, it’s that you will remain in your body for as long as you live.
That’s a pretty important reason to allow yourself to respect and honor the current transition your body is in!
Practicing body positivity is a radical way to transform your relationship to your skin suit and share gratitude for this vessel that carries YOU around. Here are six ways to learn to love yourself so you can find happiness with exactly where your body is in this moment of time.
- Ditch the belief that a different body will make you happy – Moana says ‘you can find happiness right where you are’ and there is so much truth to this. Looking a certain way will not bring you happiness. Yet, learning to find happiness or respect for your body and where it’s at will bring more peace, joy, and contentment your way.
- Do something that makes your body feel good everyday – tune in to your body so you can learn what it needs to feel invigorated, well, and healthy. Maybe it’s a walk, a stretch, or a drink of water. Doing at least one thing a day with the intention of helping your body feel it’s best will do just that!
- Dance like no one is watching – one of the quickest ways to feel good in your body is to move it! Blast your favorite music and move your body. This will allow you to be within your perfectly shaped build and shift internal energy through movement. Grant yourself judgement-free time and space and allow the music to guide your flow!
- Practice Gratitude for your body – what are you grateful for about your body? Finding gratitude for your body is one of the fastest ways to shift your internal dialogue around it. Maybe you’re grateful for the ability to breathe, or the fact that your body has allowed you to create children. When all else fails, recognize your body as the vessel that allows you to carry on being YOU! Small shifts toward gratitude equal huge wins for body positivity!
- Step off the scale – a scale is a great way to measure your weight in relation to gravity on earth. It’s a useful tool to chart progress and necessary for medical procedures. HOWEVER, if the scale has the power to ruin your day, don’t use it. It’s simple; you deserve to feel good. If stepping on the scale has the potential to make you feel bad – don’t do it. Your value as a person has nothing to do with the number on a scale. So, stick with gratitude, and step away from the numbers.
- Dare to NOT compare – In this world fueled by social media induced judgement, this tip may be the toughest AND the most important. First thing’s first, if your online scrolling includes images of bodies that make you feel badly about your own, UNFOLLOW those accounts…. like, yesterday. Secondly, notice when judgement peeks into your thoughts. Judgement, whether about your own body or someone else’s is a double-edged sword. It does not exist singularly, so when it is noticed, practice mindfulness and ask yourself, ‘how is this thought making me feel?’ Honor the emotion behind the thought, and then, if you can, shift the thought from judgement toward gratitude.
Practicing body positivity is a deliberate movement to bring more love and gratitude to your deserving self. At Inner Clarity, LLC in Hazlet, NJ our therapists excel at helping people to recognize where they are now and find gratitude for the many roads that got you and your beautiful body here. Our therapists understand how to work with you so you can find peace, respect, and love for your life and the body that allows you to live it. Ready to love your body so you can enhance your happiness? Book an appointment today.