Growing up a dancer, my relationship with my body has been at times tenuous. I’m thrilled to say I now deeply appreciate my physical body. Here are a few ways I tap back into that place on days when I forget.
- Write a letter to your body thanking it for all it does for you – find mine here
- Put on something (clothing) that makes me FEEL GOOD. Maybe that’s a ball gown, maybe a pair of sweats – always different depending on the day!
- Disengage from media that makes the negative body image talk louder. Unfollow accounts that don’t make you feel good about yourself and diversify when you’re seeing on a daily social media basis!
- Read ‘The Body is Not an Apology” by Sonya Renee Taylor. This book singlehandedly changed by life both from a person and clinical sense!
- Rethink movement. I was previously doing lots of exercise that utilized a lot of language like “so hard I’m dead,” ended up being somewhat damaging to my mental and physical health. Taking a softer approach that encouraged me to just feel ended up drastically reshaping and reframing the relationship I have with my body.
- Hug yourself! Sounds silly but it’s easy to disconnect when in moments of poor body image and to feel like just a head/brain. Take an opportunity to ground and tap back in
- Do something that involves all senses (or at least a few). Cooking a meal or a skincare routine are such cliches form of self care but doing something that forces me back in the present moment and takes care of me in the process is a reminder to do something nice or and be present in my physical body.
- Bring awareness to how you’re speaking to yourself. Challenge your own language as if you were talking to a loved one.
- Remind yourself that this is a SYSTEMS reaction, not a personal fault. We receive so much messaging from media and others all day long abut how we “should” look. Sometimes taking a birds eye view approach knowing that this goes way way deeper than the individual can be helpful.
- Tap back into your purpose. On days when my mind is filled with thoughts about my body, I remind myself that I wanted to be remembered for SO MUCH MORE than my physical appearance. Not for how I look or what my clothing size is, but the things I’m doing and contributing!
