Q & A: What if I Always Hate My Body?
Photo by Delfina La Cub (@delfinaicub) via Unsplash
Question
“What do I do if I can't imagine feeling neutral or positive about my body. What if I always hate my body?”
Answer
I hear that how you're feeling about your body is causing you a lot of mental anguish and distress. How we view, think about, and feel about our bodies is highly complex. Whatever you're feeling is valid and you're entitled to feel any and all ways about your body.
One effect of the "body positive" movement been increased pressure for people to feel neutral or positive about their bodies via affirmations and self-love/gratitude practices. While these practices can help and have helped many people there are even more people who may find themselves feeling guilty or isolated because they haven't "achieved" body neutrality and/or positivity.
People who live in bodies that are marginalized in our society, those living with a chronic illness, and those living with a disability may find the "toxic positivity" of the "body positive" movement or pressure to heal their body image "issues" to be invalidating and/or downright harmful. Our bodies have and will change. We will experience events, illnesses, injuries, and other things that change our bodies and our experiences of our bodies.
As you explore the complexity of your personal body image, here are some things to consider. I invite you journal your answers to these prompts.
When you use the words "positive", "neutral", and "hate" in reference to your body image, what do these words mean to YOU?
If you were to give yourself permission to feel any and all ways about your body, how would this change your perspective about what it means to live in your body?
Perceptions, thoughts, and feelings exist on a continuum and are dynamic in nature. How would this help you to navigate the inevitable body changes that will occur throughout your life?
How we view/think/feel about our bodies is different than the actions we take to care for our bodies on a daily basis. How do your perceptions/thoughts/feelings influence actions toward your body at present?