Body Image & Self-Esteem

Far from being vain or superficial, what we think about our appearance and how we feel living in our body is an important aspect of our overall health, and is often linked to deeper issues or worth and loveability.  Addressing negative body image and low self-esteem is a really important step on your journey.

Body image work includes:

Rooting out the last vestiges of the diet mindset

Accepting where your body landed in recovery

Crushing the myth that thinness=happiness

Ending "The Body Project"*

Exposure therapy- (eg. showing up in photos, wearing a swimsuit to the beach, buying clothes that fit your current body...)

Rebound from bad days without making a plan to lose weight

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Self-esteem work includes:

Uncovering and changing the self-defeating belief that "My worthwhileness depends on my attractiveness"

Getting active in your life and doing things you have put off until you look differently

Acknowledging positive aspects about your self beyond how you look

Finding acceptance for your "flaws" and mistakes

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Improving your body image doesn't always look like jumping into body positivity. For many, simply feeling less negative or neutral about their appearance is the goal. You don’t have to love every inch of your body, but you can learn to accept your “flaws” and appreciate attributes you like. In some ways, body image work is coming to the point that you can live comfortably in your earth suit and go about living the life you want now without much thought to how you look. Beyond that, it can be fun and exciting to adopt a truly positive outlook on your appearance! Why not enjoy your earth suit? 

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*The Body Project is a book by Joan Jacobs Brumberg, which asserts that the modern girl sees her body as a "project" that needs constant management. Girls learn to define their self-worth through diet, exercise, and style rather than personal achievements.

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