When we are struggling with perfectionism, confidence, and self-sabotage, it comes as no surprise that our bodies can get roped into the battlefield. Some days they don’t look, move, or feel right which can make it harder to love ourselves and treat ourselves with kindness if our body is a marker for our self-worth.
This is what I call a bad body day. It happens when we don’t feel, look, or move like we are used to and our bodies feel heavier, more dense, and less beautiful in our minds. As a general statement, there is nothing physically different with our bodies that leads to feeling this way.
It all comes down to our perception of our bodies. Maybe one morning your jeans fit a little different than they did a week ago or you look in the mirror and ‘think’ your stomach is bloated. These could lead to bad body days if you are affected by it enough to let it bring you down.
In these situations, there are usually two ways we respond: either by being positive to ourselves to make the situation better or being negative to continue to push ourselves down.
For many years, I would push myself down with negative self-talk and feeling like I was never going to be good enough. This is no way to treat yourself, especially if you are struggling.
I have found several concrete strategies over the years that have helped me when I am just not feeling ‘enough’. Let’s dive into them.
1. Recognize your body fluctuates and changes every day.
Waking up in the morning, your body is going to feel, look, and move different than it did the previous night. Period. There is no denying or changing that fact. Learn to accept your body’s natural fluctuates and see it as a blessing that your body knows how to take care of yourself so well.
This also goes for weeks, months, and seasons. Maybe you have noticed that during a particular time in your cycle, your body feels different. This is normal. Or even in the winter you notice you feel less light since you are craving more warm, hearty meals to keep warm. Again, totally normal. The key here is to let your body do it’s thing, without judgements. Trust that it knows how to take care of you.
2. Separate your self-worth from your body
Your worth never depends on the size, shape, or weight of your body. Ever. When we think about this and really allow that to sink in, we will start to realize how much our body size or even how we perceive our body size, really doesn’t matter a whole lot. You are still worthy of love, happiness, space, and anything you desire at any size or weight. When you really start to believe that, you will be free. A small bump in the road will not bring you all the way down because you are able to put things into perspective. Freedom.
3. Power pose
One of my favorite way to deal with a bad body day is by power posing. Basically, the premise is that you stand tall, confident, and ready to take on the world. You put your body in a posture that radiates feeling good, powerful, and strong.
Try standing in front of the mirror, pushing your shoulders back, and lifting your head up high. Channel your inner superhero and take a confident stance. Then, when you go about your day, continue to hold yourself, walk, act, and speak in a way that exudes confidence and love for yourself. Soon, you will find your mindset and attitude change as well. Of course, this takes some consistent practice, but it has been one of the biggest ways for me to get to a better mindset. I am able to feel strong, confident, beautiful, and powerful all by changing how I hold myself. Amazing.
4. Be mindful of your thoughts
Many times during a bad body day, we start to think negatively about ourselves, which then funnels into something more catastrophic than it started as. Let’s stop this by being aware of what is happening as soon as the negative thoughts come up.
Instead of thinking, “I will never look good enough”, change your thoughts to “I look beautiful, strong, and happy”. In truth, maybe you don’t believe the words you are saying yet. (yet is the key word here). Work on these affirmations and replay them enough to yourself, and you will slowly start to notice all the ways you actually are beautiful, strong, and happy in your daily life. Magic.
Want even more inspiration to make peace with your body & finally love it for where it is right now?
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