Body Image: Improving Your Relationships with Your Body and Food
People of all genders and ages struggle with body image. From childhood, we’re told that our bodies should look a certain way. This leads to many people being unhappy with their appearance and a desire to change.
We have a relationship with everything in our lives. When you sit in a chair, you trust that the chair won’t break underneath you. This relationship extends to our bodies and food.
While most people associate dieting and body image with physical actions, it’s more about your mindset. It’s about how we process our emotions. Body image struggles usually come down to societal pressure and how we view health and attractiveness.
The societal ideal of body image is impacted by several aspects. This includes culture, socioeconomic status, your childhood, the media, and your peers. It can also be impacted by your sexuality and gender. As you’ve grown older, you’ve been told what a good body looks like, but that’s not always accurate.
All bodies look different. There is no ideal body and too many people are concerned about what their body looks like. The problem with that is people end up ignoring other things they’ve done and how their body has helped them.
You might have a successful job, a family, or other successes, but might ignore those because you’re concerned about how you look. It’s important to remember that your body helped you along the way. Your head and hands might have helped you become successful. Your body helped you raise your children or care for your partner.
Worrying about your body image can also negatively impact your future. Many people won’t start going out and dating until their body looks a specific way. But most people aren’t concerned about your body’s appearance. So why do people feel this way?
A major reason is the constant dieting ads we see on television. They feed off your insecurities to convince you to buy their product. The best way to begin to change your pattern of thinking is to address these insecurities. This will allow you to be happier with your body.
If you struggle with the way you look, body image coach Katie Pijanowski has provided some tips. She calls her method the “three C’s.”
The Three C’s
Catch the Thought
As previously mentioned, body image is a mindset. Most people that struggle with their body image are concerned about what people will think about them. The first step to changing this mindset is awareness of these thoughts and understanding that they’re having a negative impact on you.
Challenge the Thought
The second step is challenging the thought of your body image. Pijanowski asks her clients, “Who says stomachs are most attractive? Who says you have to weigh a certain amount to be considered fit and healthy?” In most cases, these ideas are coming from parents, peers, or the media. They’ve created this false identity structure that has impacted your mindset and it’s become part of your identity.
Choose New
Once you’ve identified and challenged the negative body image thoughts, you need to interrupt the thought process. According to Pijanowski, it’s about getting to a neutral place where you no longer hate your body. You need to get to a place where you can honor and respect your body.
Your body has done a lot for you. It digests your food without conscious thought, allows you to breathe without thinking, and many of your body parts work to allow you to complete various tasks. Rather than worrying about what you don’t like about your body, you should express gratitude for all that it does.
Pijanowski says that you can use the three C’s as a reclamation of your body. You’ve been taught that you need to look a certain way to be healthy and attractive but that’s not the case. Getting over these societal pressures and appreciating your body for what it is will allow you to have a healthy body image and be happy with yourself.
If you want to learn more about how Katie Pijanowski can help you with your body image struggles, you can contact her through her website or on Instagram. She also has a Facebook page that will allow you to learn more.
If you’re looking to create a better overall mindset, book a free consultation through my website. You can also watch my weekly show, The Well-Balanced Mind, where I’ll provide insights into understanding your mind and behavior.
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