1. Believe you are worthy of care and love. Not 10lbs, two clothing sizes, and/or smaller thighs from now. Right now.
2. Monitoring your inner dialogue is a key first step to shift how you feel about your body. When you catch yourself saying something negative, ask if you would speak to a loved one that way. Then change negative statements into neutral ones. Because going from a negative like “I hate myself” to a positive such as “I love myself” may be a bit of a jump, a statement like “This is my body today” might feel more authentic.
3. Make a list of all the things your body can do (run, jump, laugh, kiss, make love, nurse your baby, hold your loved one’s hand, snuggle, think, sing, create art, bake, build, and so on). When you are in a funk, take 60 seconds to read your list to help you feel grateful for all your body can do.
4. Expose yourself to a wide variety of body shapes, sizes, and ability levels. Feeling badly about our bodies comes from seeing women in the media and our homes disparaging their stomachs, thighs, or dieting. Broaden your scope to shift from unrealistic, negative views of beauty into realistic, positive ones.
