Why talk about body image?
How body image can impact your ability to THRIVE - body, mind, and spirit.
Let's start with a little experiment (don't worry, it's not invasive!).
Reflect for a moment on how you've felt about your body over the last several hours or day (whatever feels right for you).
Consider the following questions:
how many times did you think about your body?
were those thoughts positive? or negative?
when those thoughts arose, what happened next?
what feelings were you aware of?
Were they pleasant (joy, pleasure, happiness, etc.) or unpleasant (guilt, shame, fear, etc.)
what secondary thoughts were you aware of?
Were they helpful (gratitude, appreciation, growth-minded, etc.), or unhelpful (critical, judgmental, etc.)?
If you're like most folks, your answers may have surprised you. You likely spent a good chunk of time thinking about your body. Sure, some of those thoughts might have been positive and the associated feelings pleasant (at least I hope they were). But don't feel bad if a vast majority of those thoughts were critical, judgmental, and possibly even guilt or shame-inducing.
Because you're not alone.
The statistics in research vary pretty wildly (some citing 20% and others reporting 90% depending on population and location), but here's what I know from my work with people...I've yet to meet a person who feels 100% happy in their body 100% of the time.
And here's the other thing I really want you to hear today - it's not your fault.
You (and I) were raised (and are living in) a capitalist culture where bodies are objectified and moralized on the daily. And this collective cultural lens seeps its way into the beliefs of our family of origin and our own beliefs about body. So we're consistently and persistently getting this message from a young age - which means it's pretty well established in our brains.
It's no wonder we're gazing at the mental mirror on the reg - often to our detriment. We've been told implicitly and explicitly that how we look (to others) matters. But the message is full of contradictory messages that leave us hustling for our worth spinning on a hamster wheel going nowhere.
Hence the popularity of that epic speech from America Ferrera's character in the Barbie movie (in case you haven't seen it, watch it here).
But back to my point...and WHY exploring this topic is vital to THRIVING (mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually).
I like to think about my mental bandwidth as real estate in my brain. It's a somewhat simplistic way to look at our cognitive function, but ultimately I think it's relatively accurate (and a helpful metaphor).
We only have so much mental capacity. And if you're spending a good chunk of your mental capacity thinking unhelpful thoughts about your body, and dealing with the fallout of the associated feelings...what does that leave you with?! And what if that unhelpful thinking is situated in PRIME real estate, taking up your very best cognitive space?!
Do you have space, time, and energy for creative pursuits, learning, pursuing rewarding work, or having meaningful relationships?!
My personal experience has been that NO, I don't. The more of my TIME, ENERGY, and MONEY is wrapped up in HATING my body, the less TIME, ENERGY, and MONEY I have to engage in the practices that help me THRIVE.
And I didn't even get into the impact poor body image has on our mental health. Negative body image is correlated with increases in depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, substance use and abuse, and increased social isolation, among other things (nerdy science here). And these associated mental health struggles...put us into SURVIVING not THRIVING (read: even less mental real estate).
So what can we do?! Over the next month, I'm going to share with you some of my favourite resources, ideas, and tips to help you move the dial on your body image.
And if you're thinking, thanks, I'm good, this topic isn't relevant to me. Please read on. Because even if you've found your way to neutral or acceptance on the body image continuum, we live in a culture where the vast majority struggle.
So maybe you'll hear something in these next few weeks that might help someone you love (either because you share this article with them, OR because it gives you more empathy and compassion for their experience in the world).
Some homework...This week I'd like to invite you to NOTICE (aka. get a "body image" pulse check).
You might even circle back to the questions I asked above to help your inquiry.
Why start here? As I often share, awareness is the very first step when it comes to affecting change in any area (you have to SEE it and get to know it before you can do anything with it).
Onward in thriving,
Gillian
PS. What is the body image continuum I mentioned above? And what does it mean to be "neutral?" Awesome, I’m so glad you asked. Be sure to check out NEXT WEEK's article for that!
If this speaks to you…consider this your invitation!
Do you want to explore your relationship with your body IRL (ie. in person with a group of rad humans)? Consider joining me (Registered Clinical Counsellor) and Brooke Hewitt-Morgan (Photographer) for this EPIC retreat weekend October 25-27. Together we’ll be diving into rich discussions about body image, exploring embodied experiences to connect with our bodies, and a one-of-a-kind expressive photography all designed to help you land in and find (even a kernel) of appreciation for your body. Learn more here.
A little about me:
I'm a body-neutral health + fitness coach, turned therapist.
What does that mean? In addition to my degree in Kinesiology, multiple fitness/ health registrations (Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, Yoga Fitness Leader, Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor), and 25 years in fitness taking a weight-neutral approach, I've now acquired a Master's in Counselling Psychology and some more cool letters behind my name (RCC, aka. Registered Clinical Counsellor in BC).
Read: I'm a body/mind/ spirit health nerd who is passionate about making a difference! I want to help you not just survive, but THRIVE!
Thanks for being here! I hope you enjoy this weekly-ish Substack!Â
Feeling inspired? Some ways you can connect with me…
One to one Coaching (for health | fitness | intuitive eating)
One to one Counselling (for folks based in BC, Canada)
Virtual Courses and content (Intuitive Eating | Making the Authentic Health Mindset Shift | Body Positive Fitness Library)
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