Steps to improve your body image – without changing your body

Body Image

Summer is here! The long sunny days bring picnics, cookouts, beach trips, vacations, bike rides, and all kinds of outdoor adventures. But it also means bathing suits. Shorts. Sundresses. Skimpy clothes. And that can make us want to fast forward to winter and burrow into a giant sweater.

It’s an understandable impulse! We’re bombarded by images of beautiful, airbrushed people in the media, and we’re sorely aware when our bodies don’t line up with the “goal image” we hold of ourselves in our heads. This year was the year we were supposed to get thin and start living life to the fullest! Well, there’s always next year...

We all have our body hangups. The world we live in practically forces them on us. But the body you have now is everything you need to embrace the summer. And when you do, you’ll be happier, more active and more fulfilled. All of those positives work together to ultimately help you meet your wellness and weight loss goals.

In this webisode, Skyterra’s Kate Hannon, Director of Integrated Wellbeing, tackles this thorny issue of body image. Tune in to learn about five simple strategies for developing a positive relationship with the body you have now – so you can honor yourself with the summer you deserve.

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Steps to improve your body image – without changing your body

 

  1. Reject the image of perfection. Remember that nearly every image you see in the media has been manipulated to give the impression of flawlessness.
  2. You are a whole person – not just flaws. When we look into a mirror, we’re usually checking to make sure our self-perceived flaws are minimized. Start by looking into your own eyes and really seeing yourself as a whole.
  3. Surround yourself with positive people. Negativity spreads. Surround yourself with non-judgmental people who inspire you to be your best.
  4. Eat mindfully. When we “feel fat,” it’s usually because we’re too full, or we’ve eaten foods that bring us down.
  5. Respect yourself. Think about all the things your body has done for you: Birthed a child? Cared for others? Created something? Quiet that harsh internal voice that says you’re not enough by thinking about your accomplishments.

 

If you’ve enjoyed this webisode, explore our YouTube channel which includes Kate’s webisodes on expanding the “all or nothing” mentality, the stages of lasting change, the importance of sleep, and more.