For many of us, our relationship with our bodies can be complicated- whether it’s how our bodies function, how they look, or even how they feel. This relationship with our body can lead to challenges with our body image, or the thoughts, feelings and beliefs you have about and towards your body- these can be positive, negative or even neutral. It’s unfortunate, yet increasingly common, that having poor body image is the norm. Yet, it makes sense why this is the case in the context of a culture with ever-changing beauty standards, the unrealistic marketing of bodies, and where many of us are disembodied, or, living as though our bodies and minds are not connected (shoutout to Dr. Hillary McBride for her work in this area!).
Working through our relationship with our bodies is no small task. But, there are small, everyday steps we can take towards reconnecting with our bodies, and furthermore, ourselves.
- What’s the Value in Having a Better Relationship with Our Bodies?
- Working towards a better relationship with your body can be tough work. It can feel countercultural and even “wrong” in a culture that encourages and profits off of people distrusting, and even hating, their bodies. Getting in touch with your “why” or your values can be helpful to cling to when this work feels messy and impossible.
- One question to reflect on would be:
- What would be different about your life if you had a more positive relationship with your body?
- Focusing on How the Body “Feels” vs. “Looks”
- Many of us are attuned to how we might look and appear to others and value this above how we feel. Tuning in to how your body responds to, for instance, clothing, movement, food, or even in relationships, can be a step towards becoming embodied, or having a more integrated mind-body experience.
- One way to begin to do this is becoming aware of your body’s language through scanning your body for sensations.
- What’s your body trying to say to you? Let’s listen and see!
- Embracing Feeling “Good”
- We might have become disconnected from our bodies as a protective mechanism from experiencing discomfort in response to painful and overwhelming experiences. As a result, we can numb the negative feelings, but this has a cost. When we numb the “bad,” we also become disconnected from the “good”; meaning, the joy and pleasure we can experience in our bodies becomes just as numbed as the sadness, the pain, etc. We can lose the ability to feel safe and enjoy our bodies.
- One step I recommend taking from here is reading The Wisdom of Your Body by Hillary McBride- she is the queen of all things embodiment & body image.
If any of this resonates with you, you’re not alone. We live in a world that makes it challenging to enjoy and embrace our bodies, and painful life experiences can heighten these feelings. If you’re struggling, please reach out- we’d love to help!