Here’s what body acceptance looks like.
Last night, I ate half a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. And this morning I woke up, looked in the mirror, and saw a happy, relaxed, and completely at ease body.
A body I knew could take care of me, even when I had ice cream the night before. It was completely relaxed and comfortable. That’s how body acceptance works!
In the past, I would have eaten any ice cream (even several bites) and felt thick and swollen. Back then, my body was a constant battleground and I couldn’t look at it without seeing something to fix.
Now I eat pretty much anything and realize that my body (and myself!) is still worth loving. Ice cream, weight, or gaining/losing a few pounds doesn’t define me. My acceptance for my body is unconditional, regardless of what I weigh, look like, or feel like at the moment.
That’s how powerful body acceptance can be.
Now that I’m at peace with my body, it looks different than I ever thought it would be.
When I was deep in the struggle, I dreamed of a time in the future when I wouldn’t have to think about my body at all. I would be at a perfect weight and everything would fall into place.
I saw body acceptance as completely black or white. I would either accept my body all the time or not at all, with no in-between.
But that’s not how it works! Body acceptance, like love for yourself or others, ebbs and flows all the time, never constant. You won’t wake up one day and love every inch of yourself. It is a process, not a destination.
There are days I look in the mirror and am not particularly happy with what I see looking back at me. And that’s okay. I still love myself and love my body. It does spectacular things for me (plus it functions every day for me – that’s something to celebrate!).
But even so, some days I still struggle looking in the mirror.
- I struggle to try on clothes in front of the dressing room mirror at the mall (here’s what to do when this happens!)
- I don’t feel comfortable in any clothes I put on and nothing seems to fit.
I see so many women (myself included) that can judge themselves for this. If I am having these thoughts or struggling with this today, I must not accept my body.
But accepting your body doesn’t look perfect.
The destination is not something we ever arrive at. In our culture, body acceptance is hard when everything around us seems to be trying to change who we are. It’s an uphill battle. I get that.
But accepting your body doesn’t have to be as hard as you think. It starts with a simple declaration and commitment to choose kindness for yourself.
Even on your hard days. Even when nothing seems to fit in your closet. That’s when it is most important. Because you have a choice. To act from a place of love or fear and frustration.
Body acceptance is all about making the kind and loving choice.
To get started, here are 3 ways to boost your body acceptance right now.
1. Be kind
Having a freak-out moment about not fitting into your jeans (or really any body image moment)? Stop and choose a kind response. What would love do in this situation? How can you act in a loving way towards your body and show that you are on her side? I talk about this a lot in the free 3-day Body Acceptance course because it’s so important!
2. Treat yourself the way you would a best friend
When your best friend is struggling, you support her without a second thought, right?
“You can do this. You’re amazing”
Not a second would go by without you being positive and supportive for her. Do the same for yourself! You deserve the same love and respect.
3. Embrace what you see in the mirror
Pretty much everyone looks in the mirror in the morning. How often are you saying kind things to yourself while you do so?
Start by saying a simple “I love you” as you stand in front of the mirror getting ready for work and see what comes up for you.
Want to dive even deeper into body acceptance and improving your body image? Check out the free 3-day Body Acceptance video series, where you’ll learn how to connect with your body, embrace what is, and finally love who you are. Plus, it’s free! Learn the power of complete body image acceptance + join women all over the world here.