How to be body positive

Body image is a multidimensional concept that manifests itself in a variety of ways, incorporating perceptual, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional fields. Body dissatisfaction is a disturbance in body image or in the way one perceives their weight or body shape that has the potential to affect mental health and quality of life.

One of the major goals of body positivity is to address some of the ways that body image influences mental health and well-being. Having a healthy body image plays a role in how people feel about their appearance and even how they judge their self worth. Research suggests that having a negative body image is associated with an increased risk for some mental conditions including depression and eating disorders. Body image refers to a person’s subjective perception of their own body—which may be different from how their body actually appears. Feelings, thoughts, and behaviors related to body image can have a major impact on your mental health and how you treat yourself.

The biggest thing you can do to feel better about your body is to work on stopping the social comparison process in its tracks. It can be frighteningly easy to compare ourselves to the bodies we see every day, in magazines, on billboards, on television, and now on social media. It’s a small step from looking at and admiring images of “ideal” bodies and thinking, “Why don’t I look like that?” Although easier said than done, avoiding these social comparisons may be the best way to boost your own body satisfaction. 

Always remember, you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

A. A. Milne