5 Strategies For Overcoming Negative Body Image
By Dr. Jake Linardon
What is Body Image and Why is it Important?
Body image is a broad term that refers to our thoughts, perceptions, and feelings towards our body or its specific parts.
Everyone experiences negative thoughts or feeling about their body from time to time.
For example, you might feel self-conscious after you have purchased a new outfit that doesn’t quite fit right, or you might wonder why your body doesn’t look as good as the fitness model presented on television.
While some might be able to easily brush off these negative experiences, for many people these experiences become engrained within their identity, affecting their quality of life, social functioning, and psychological health.
In fact, research has shown that a negative body image is one of the strongest predictors for the development of an eating disorder, and symptoms of depression and anxiety.
This is why it is very important to address a negative body image as soon as you spot it.
Let’s go through 5 evidence-based tips to implement to help you overcome a negative body image.
Strategies for Overcoming Negative Body Image
1. Critique Social and Media Messages
Messages presented by the media are one of the most powerful causes of negative body image.
The reason for this is that the media typically sends messages that depict unrealistic expectations about what men and women should look like.
To prevent and fully break out of a negative body image, you need to be an active – rather than passive – participant of these messages.
In other words, you need to verbally challenge or critique those messages that reinforce these appearance ideals.
Point out why certain media messages are flawed.
This will help you reframe your belief system, appreciate the idiosyncrasies of your body, and better ignore those media messages that reinforce these unrealistic ideals.
2. Practice Positive Self-Talk in the Mirror
Exposing yourself to your disliked body parts is one of the best tips to help improve body image.
Practice standing in front of a mirror, but instead of letting your intrusive negative thoughts run wild, engage in a pattern of positive self-talk.
Remind yourself what you like about your body, or what it is that makes it special or unique.
Come up with 3 examples and continually repeat them to yourself.
Positive affirmations, coupled with repeated exposure, will help you to reframe your belief system over time so that negative thoughts gradually shift to neutral or even positive ones.
3. Appreciate the Functionality of your Body
What your body looks like is the least important thing about you.
What your body can do, however, is arguably the most important thing.
To provide context, imagine what life would be like if you couldn’t walk, cycle, play with your dog, have a baby, or hop in the car and drive to your favorite coffee shop.
Sometimes taking a moment to reflect on, and appreciate, your body’s capabilities is enough to provide immediate relief to negative thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of your body image.
Write down a list of all those body functions you’re grateful for.
Whenever you feel particularly bad about your body, pull this list out and remind yourself that your body allows you to perform these things.
You’ll come to realize that the way your body looks isn’t all that interesting after all.
4. Take up New Hobbies
Many people experience a negative body image because this is all the value in life.
In other words, people place too much importance on their weight and shape, so their self-worth or identity are conflated with what they look like or what they weigh.
You need to reduce how much you value weight and shape and direct your sense of self-worth elsewhere.
This is why taking up a new hobby is essential; it forces you to place value elsewhere, and it builds your self-esteem and self-efficacy if you find that you’re getting good at your hobby or are invested sufficiently in it.
Some excellent hobbies you might decide to take up could be enrolling in a new educational course, joining a book club, participating in a sporting team, or building new things for your home.
5. Surround yourself with positive people
Maybe it’s time to let go of those people who make you feel bad about yourself.
Those who comment on your figure, [jokingly] tease you about your looks or criticize most things you do with your time.
Negative interpersonal experiences can be particularly powerful triggers of poor body image.
The reason for this is that they make you question things about yourself, contribute to negative mood states, and diminish your self-esteem.
Investing time in those who don’t do this and instead make you feel valued, loved, and appreciated is essential if you are to fully break out of a negative body image.
Closing Off
Addressing negative body image is hard work. It usually takes a lot of practice, patience, and perseverance.
This is because it’s more than likely that you’ve experienced these negative body-related thoughts and feelings for a very long time, even decades.
They’re probably so engrained that you think this is the normal way of life.
It doesn’t have to be.
Once you start to truly value and respect your body for what it is, you’ll live a much more meaningful and happy life.
Dr. Jake Linardon
Dr. Jake Linardon, PhD, is the founder of Break Binge Eating and a Research Fellow at Deakin University, Melbourne Australia. With a focus on eating disorders, Jake has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on eating disorders and serves as an editorial board member for the International Journal of Eating Disorders.
