How to overcome poor body image
Is it normal to feel bad about your body postpartum?
Literally every mom raised in this society experiences a shift in their body image. Yes, even people with those seemingly perfect mom bods! Poor body image exists because we live in a world where we, as women, have been conditioned to find our worth in our appearance. So when our appearance changes “for the worse,” it’s no wonder we experience a shift in our body image.
The thing is, this is all BS! Our conditioning is BS. We are NOT just our appearances, and there is no increased worth in our bodies when we have flat abs or toned abs.
So my question to you is: can you name ONE thing that matters to you MORE than body image?
Let me rephrase that - what's one thing you'd rather give your attention to than worrying about what you look like?
I asked this question one morning on Instagram and here are some of the answers I got:
pain free body
climbing mountains
making memories with my daughter
hiking for hours with ease
playing with my kids / grandkids
health! having the resources and supports to be able to even reach out for help/concerns
being able to carry my kiddo on hikes
winning tennis matches
having a healthy sex life with my partner
having the strength to be strong for life
feeling strong
when my kid says "I love you mummy"
I can think of MANY things I'd rather spend my time on too.
Here are the things that I’d rather focus on (than worry about how my body looks in my pants):
Hanging with my family, lifting weights, running, biking, getting outside, snuggles, making my kids laugh, taking my daughter swimming, dancing with my son, dancing in general, going to festivals, eating delicious food. I have a LONG list of things I would rather be doing than worrying about what I look like in a swimsuit or worrying what someone thinks about me.
It's not that I don't care about what I look like - I think most people care, to some degree! When I had my first child, I "bounced back" by appearance but my body image was the worst it ever was. I couldn't do the things I enjoyed and I felt like my athleticism had been taken away from me. After having my second child, though my body looks very different, it feels the best it's ever felt. It's taken some work to get to where I am now. So going back to what I said earlier, it's not that I don't care what I look like, it's just that I care about so many other things MORE. When you spend more time doing the things you care about, when you have more priorities to pour your time, energy and attention into, it's natural that concerns about your body image go down.
Energy is not endless, so choose wisely where it goes!
What's ONE thing you'd like to pour your attention and energy into this week? Hold yourself accountable to do more of that this week! Let me know below what it is!
