Tips for Body Appreciation That Can Be Used Any Day (Good or Bad).

Body Appreciation. What is it?

It’s important to recognize that hating your body isn’t going to change it and practicing actions from a self hate lens isn’t healing. You deserve to respect yourself and your body. Body appreciation actually takes you out of the duality of hate vs. love.

Author of the Body Appreciation Assessment [BAA], Tracy L. Tylka explains body appreciation is:

“Holding favorable opinions toward the body regardless of its appearance, accepting the body along with its deviations from societal beauty ideals, respecting the body by attending to its needs and engaging in healthy behaviors, and protecting the body by rejecting unrealistic media appearance ideals.”

Body appreciation is about cultivating a respectful and responsive relationship with our body regardless of size and perceived imperfections. This is attained by awareness and attentiveness to the body’s needs and responding in an adaptive way. For example, recognizing the body needs nourishment thus feeding yourself.

Sometimes it can feel impossible to appreciate your body, especially on hard days. But the truth is, you don’t have to appreciate your body EVERY day. In fact, forcing yourself to do so can lead to toxic positivity, feeling invalidated and being disingenuous with self. The process of body appreciation is on going, and like everything else we do as humans we deserve the grace to recognize we are in fact, human. As humans, nothing is going to be perfect 100% of the time. Allowing yourself to acknowledge this is respectful and showing yourself grace and appreciation.

Take what you like, leave what you don’t and pay attention to what works for you depending on your mood:

1. Slow down and practice mindfulness. Even if it’s just little things like noticing the fabric of your clothes on your skin or the smell in the room. Use your 5 senses to get you out of your head and to notice the good things you do feel.

2. Participate in activities that feel good for your body: gentle yoga, stretching, napping, bubble baths. Your body works hard for you and deserves to be recognized through actions.

3. Go out and get some fresh air. And sunlight, if you can. Nature is such a great tool for healing and bringing us into the present moment. Choose to focus on nature and bask in the magnificence of it instead of your bad body image day.

4. Dress up or get comfy! If putting on a fabulous outfit that you feel great in helps to pick you up, do it. But if wearing pajama pants all day feels better, do that. Honor what feels good to your body.

5. Practice gratitude. Remind yourself of something your body has done for you lately such as helping you move, enjoy nature or hug a friend.

6. When gratitude feels too hard, put things into perspective. Ask yourself what your 99 year old self would or could appreciate about your current body.