How To: Body Appreciation
By Molly Mook
With summertime on the horizon, the pressure to have the “perfect body” is definitely appearing for many people, and it can be so.mentally.draining. It would be way easier if we could all easily “love our bodies,” but this is not as effortless as it sounds. The fact is that there is no flip of a switch that will make you instantaneously feel nothing but pride and positivity toward your body.
However, it may be more attainable to reach “body appreciation” instead of “body love,” and this is an awesome way to feel a bit more confident and secure in yourself. When I’m feeling down about my body and how it looks, I usually try to switch my mindset and reflect upon its many functions and why I should be grateful for it.
Our bodies allow us to live, breathe, laugh, jump, dance, sing, run, relax, eat, work, and do so so much more. Without all of its working parts doing their jobs, we would not be the same. Life would not be the same. When I think about it through this lens, it is easier to realize that my body’s functions are of utmost importance, and my appearance does not mean much in the grand scheme of things. My body’s purpose is to keep me alive and to help me enjoy life, not to look a certain way.
My biggest body insecurity is my stomach. When I’m in a negative headspace about my stomach because it isn’t as perfectly flat as I wish it to be, I remind myself… “This part of my body houses my organs. There needs to be enough room for them to work properly so that I can LIVE.”
The list goes on and on for things you can tell yourself about your body parts and their essential functions. It’s also special to personalize them to your own life, as seen below. Here are a few more very important things your body parts do for you that may help you to reframe your thoughts and feel a little bit of body appreciation:
“My legs allow me to move around, play my sport, and feel strong every day.”
“My arms help me reach tall items, carry my younger sister, and lift heavy weights in the gym.”
“My nose helps me to smell wonderful scents, like my mom’s brownies and flowers from the market.”
In addition to just vocalizing these mindset shifts, you can also write these body appreciation affirmations on sticky notes and place them around your mirror on the area that would reflect that body part back to you. For example, you would put a stomach sticky note at the middle level of the mirror and a leg sticky note on the bottom half.
I feel that there is no harm in trying out this framing shift. Even if it helps you appreciate only one part of your body, just a little bit more, it is worth it. I believe that body love is the ultimate goal, but starting by appreciating our bodies, being grateful for them, and recognizing everything they do for us is the step in the right direction.
