Be at Peace with Your Body

Take a moment and reflect on these questions:

• What do you think of your body?

• Do positive or negative thoughts come to your mind when thinking of your body?

• Is your body something you feel self-conscious about?

• Is your body something that needs to be changed or fixed? 

• Can you accept your body the way it is today?

Many of us have a conditional acceptance of our body and it’s appearance. Let me explain a bit further:  Consider the list below; what do you think these statements have in common:

• Social Media influence

• Weighing ourselves, what does the scale say?

• Trying on Clothes

• Looking in the mirror

• Not eating in the we would like to eat, or, in a way we think we should eat

• Comparing ourselves to others 

• Comparing ourselves to how we have looked in the past

What these statements have in common is their potential to lead us to having a negative judgmental view of our body, and more of an obsessive view of our bodies.

What if it didn’t have to be this way?  What would it be like if you woke up tomorrow and were able to be at peace with your body? Would it feel freeing to you? Would it open a vast amount of emotional and mental energy for other things in your life that are more important to you?  I can already hear what some of you may be thinking while you are reading this article…. 

• But my body isn’t the way I want it to be, how can I accept it?

• But my body isn’t healthy, and I want to be healthier, so does that mean I shouldn’t try to be healthy and just accept my body the way it is?

• This is totally unrealistic, who can ever truly accept their body/appearance?!

CLINICAL HELPFUL TIPS

You are not alone; I GET HOW YOU MIGHT BE FEELING!

Let’s look at some things that could possibly help you view your body in a DIFFERENT way:

RADICAL ACCEPTANCE (DBT Concept): One of these concepts is called Radical Acceptance.

Radical Acceptance means “embracing the present moment”, fully, even when the situation is painful or difficult for us” (https://counselingcentergroup.com/dbt-skill-radical-acceptance/)

Radical acceptance is a means to embracing reality even when you don’t like it because acceptance of what is is the starting point for change. Until we accept where we are with our body image and the reality of the current situation, we cannot change.

Please note that acceptance of our bodies does not mean that it’s wrong to strive for health, fitness, and our wellness goals; It DOES mean you can accept your body in the process of those goals, as you are, and that your worth isn’t dictated by the current state of your body or your appearance. 

Another benefit of radical acceptance is that it can help us tolerate difficult feelings, such as shame. There can often be shame related to how we view our bodies and appearance. Shame rarely motivates the change we are looking for. So, leaning into radical acceptance could help you in having a better relationship with your body and letting go of shameful messages we share with ourselves. 

CHRISTIAN TIPS TO HEALING OUR BODY IMAGE ISSUES:

Our bodies have been created by God (Psalm 139:13-16) and were given to us to show God’s glory (Romans 12:1). Our bodies were also created for us to take care of to be a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19-20).

For some of us, our bodies have become an obsession, an idol.  Cultural norms and social media cause people to at times become obsessed with the wrong things. Our bodies and our appearance have become too important to us. God never intended for us to be obsessed with our bodies, or for our appearance to define us or our worth.  Jesus defines who we are and our worth:

Psalm 139: 13-14 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.14 I praise you because I am fearful and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.

And at the same time, God hasn’t created our bodies for us to hate our bodies.  Perhaps God desires us to care well for our bodies, whatever shape or size they are, and for us to see our bodies as one aspect of who we are amongst many aspects.

One Last Thought: Growing in acceptance of anything in your life takes time. This is a skill to practice and a new way of thinking. It will not come overnight, especially if you have ingrained negative thoughts about your body and appearance. But it is possible to change, from a faith perspective, consider the following verses from which to draw strength:

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with thee; Do not be dismayed, for I am your god; I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand, you are mine.”

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”

We can help, and with Christ all things are possible; we were never meant to walk alone.

If you feel like you need additional support around areas of body acceptance issues, or disordered eating behaviors, please reach out to our intake coordinator Gia at 815-707-4806 or email Gia@centerforcourage.com and make an appointment with a great-fit therapist today!