How to love your body | Psyche Guides

Research shows that expressing appreciation for our bodies can improve body image.

• Distract your inner critical voice. When you think I wish my nose was smaller, reply with I love my hair. If you can direct your attention to parts of your body you appreciate, it can help quiet your inner critic.
• You can also try to get into a routine of expressing gratitude about your body every night before bed.

Our bodies are more than just appearance. They serve vital functions necessary for survival. When we focus more on what a body does, it can help to increase our perception of our body.

In one study, women were requested to write down ten functions of their bodies and how those functions added to their wellbeing. After this exercise, the participants had a more positive body image during the study.

An essential part of developing a positive body image is managing your consumption of media that can negatively influence your body image. This is known as 'protective filtering.'

We may feel bad when we compare ourselves with celebrities and social media personalities. But we can decide to avoid them since the people we see in the media rarely look that way in real life. We can decide against watching shows that feature women in objectified roles and focus on something else instead.

How you think about your health habits can affect your body image. For example, if you go for a run as a punishment for eating, you're not likely to enjoy it. But if you think of running as a way to increase your energy and take care of yourself, you might enjoy it.

The key is to reframe your behaviours to make healthy choices sustainable.

Some people might think too much about their appearance if they are trying to feel good about how they look. They might instead aim for 'body neutrality' where they try not to really think about their body.

A body-neutral perspective means thinking all people are beautiful because the focus is on inner beauty. One way to adopt this mentality is to start with affirmations that emphasise self-acceptance.