This week, I'm going to tackle ways to honor your body. Bodies are pretty cool, and they carry us through life. People often forget that you cannot have a healthy body without a healthy mind, and you cannot have a healthy mind without a healthy body.
TEN WAYS TO HONOR YOUR BODY
ONE: Take Care
Self care is huge, and it means different things to different people. While getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, drinking enough water and getting active are huge for dealing with stress and helping you feel better, sometimes that doesn't always work. Sometimes self care means sleeping in and missing a workout or watching Netflix in your pajamas or crying to a friend. Asking yourself what you really need is important. Trust yourself and answer honestly. Being negative towards your body is not taking care of it.
TWO: Be Patient
Change doesn't happen quickly. It takes work and dedication and, above all, patience. Learn to be patient with yourself and your body. Recognize small efforts taken towards changing. Be patient with your body's shortcomings. Set realistic and obtainable goals if you want to change anything about your body.
THREE: Recognize Your Strengths and Practice Gratitude
What do you love about your body? Making a simple list can remind us of all the ways our bodies are wonderful. Maybe it's your legs that help you go miles on your bike. Maybe it's your smile that helps cheer up your friends. Our bodies exist for more than just looking good. They make us feel good, they help us do things, they help us connect with others, they help us experience the universe.
FOUR: Build a Community and Honor Other BodiesBe sure to surround yourself with people who love and honor your body. Gently remind people who are negative about bodies that you have no time to deal with their negativity. Build a community of people who are supportive and give back to it. Remind your friends how awesome their bodies are. Be sure to honor the ways they take care of their bodies. Don't be judgmental or put others down. Be sure not to alienate others just because their bodies aren't like yours. Don't let people make you feel guilt or self involved for loving your body, caring for your body, or pampering your body.
FIVE: Reframe and Neutralize Your "Weaknesses"
Turn every negative into a positive. For example, if I'm sad about my chubby arms, I think about how my arms help be give good hugs. If I feel badly about my hair on certain days, I appreciate the color. Ask yourself why this aspect of your body is "bad." Reframing your goals can help. Instead of "I am fat and need to lose 10 pounds," try "I want to be healthy and feel better." Do things as acts of care not rebellion against what your body is at the present moment.
SIX: Don't Dwell
It's easy to become obsessed with negative thoughts and feel ashamed. Don't think about your body's appearance too often, especially if you're thinking about what you think is negative about it. Step back and enjoy life. Go for a walk, call a friend, take a nap, read a good book. There are a lot of things to expel energy on beyond your physical appearance.
Instead of dwelling on what you think are problems, be proactive in trying to accept them or change what you can. You can think "my skin is so ugly and gross" or you can actively make small steps to feel good about your skin. Try a homemade mask or treat yourself to a new face wash. Don't waste energy on negative thoughts, instead use it for positive actions.
SEVEN: Welcome Negative Thoughts
There will be times when negative thoughts about your body will arise. Don't resist them. Lean in and feel them deeply. Don't try to run away from them or numb them. Take a deep breath and repeat after me, "You, as you exist right now, ARE good enough. You are worthy of love and happiness simply because you exist." This might sound a little out there, but it's easy to forget that we are perfectly fine just the way we are. You are not your negative thoughts. Avoiding thoughts and letting them take up too much space in our lives can lead to self destructive behaviors as we seek comfort in things that are often not good for us.
EIGHT: Create Space
Pause and take a step back from any negative emotions or thoughts that arise from your body. Where did this thought come from? What triggered it? Creating mental space and taking a step back from the situation lets us recognize what is causing the emotions that arise within is and pausing before we take action on them. This prevents automatic negative responses like binge eating, snapping at loved ones, and fueling more negative self-talk.
Creating space also means recognizing that your body is allowed to take up space. Don't let anyone make you feel badly about simply existing. You have the right to be.
It can also be helpful to have a physical space that reminds you to honor your body. This space could mean a special area in your house where you keep self care things (workout clothes, luxurious face masks, special perfumes, whatever makes your body feel great!) or simply a quiet space where you can sit, turn off your thoughts, and just be.
NINE: See Things As They Are
It can be helpful to remove judgments on things and see them as they are. Fat and skinny aren't measures of your self worth. They are simply shapes of the body. Being fat or skinny is just a physical state that has no bearing on your character, who you are, and what you're worth. Ugliness and attractiveness are subjective and are defined differently by different people. Food is simply fuel. There is no "bad" food or "good" food; some foods are more nutritious, but eating a "bad" food does not make you "bad." Scars, acne, yellow teeth, or having a body that is different than others say nothing about what you are doing and who you are right now.
TEN: Practice Acceptance and Compassion
Accept your body for what it is and realize that while you are body, you are also much more. A body doesn't tell what's important about a person. Be compassionate towards your body and others. Recognize that every day is a new day to change how you feel about your body. Honor and appreciate that bodies are all different, and that's what makes them beautiful, unique, and interesting.
No comments:
Post a Comment