Healthy Body Image
By Grace Landry BHSc
Summer has arrived! The season of wearing clothing like shorts and tank tops to stay cool and spending hours by the pool or at the beach. These seemingly enjoyable activities can spark anxiety in individuals who are uncomfortable with their body image. Body dissatisfaction is a prevalent phenomenon today. Having a negative perspective on body image can create intense feelings of stress, anxiety, and social isolation. What can we do to help promote positive body image in our children and youth?! Read through this post for a few suggestions on what can be done to promote healthy body image!
Body Positive Talk: Incorporating body positive speech into our everyday lives could potentially promote healthy body image. Disordered eating and unhealthy body image can oftentimes develop from unintentional comments about what a “healthy” or “desirable” body may look like. Being intentional with the language that we use around body image can promote body positivity. Examples of body positive speech are, “I am strong” and “I care about my body”. The summer can be especially hard for individuals who are experiencing negative body image or disordered eating. It can benefit many people when body positivity is integrated into everyday language!
Placing an emphasis on abilities and skills: Complimenting abilities and skills helps promote body positivity because it showcases that a person is more than their physical appearance. Comments that target skills and abilities can encourage growth in those areas. People who develop an interest in musical theatre will appreciate hearing comments about their singing voice. People who develop an interest in baseball will appreciate compliments on their leadership or commitment to the game. It is absolutely encouraged to compliment people on their physical traits but creating balance between the two is essential to positive body image.
Wear clothing that makes you feel good about yourself: Clothing is supposed to fit you, not the other way around! Clothing can be a great way to express yourself or to step out of your comfort zone. Summertime is typically the season where people wear light clothing, shorts, tank tops, sundresses, and bathing suits. These are a few items that are typically seen and worn in the summer but that doesn’t mean that everyone in the world has to wear those items during warmer seasons. Commenting on what others choose to wear during the warmer months can cause unintentional stress or anxiety for others. For example, asking an individual why they are wearing a shirt over their bathing suit could cause further discomfort for that person if they are experiencing disordered eating.
Self-Care: Find a method of self-care that works for you. Our bodies will be with us for our whole lives, and it is our responsibility to take care of them. There are tons of different activities and routines that can be categorized as self-care, such as getting a massage or reading a book. Finding a method that makes your mind and body feel relaxed is a good practice to use for ourselves and to promote for children and adolescents. Promoting mindfulness and self-care for children and youth can carry into adulthood and help create healthy body image. I encourage you to set aside 10-minutes a day for self-care. It doesn’t have to be an extravagant spa day. It could be 10-minutes of sitting outside and breathing in fresh air, having a bath, or watching your favourite TV show.
References
Body Positive Speech photo retrieved on June 15th, 2022 from https://www.google.com/search?q=body+positivity+speech+&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjZy6u2-q_4AhUEADQIHaFdCpAQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=body+positivity+speech+&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzIECAAQHjoECCMQJzoECAAQQzoFCAAQgAQ6BggAEB4QCDoECAAQGFC-D1iNF2CBGWgAcAB4AIABXogB7gWSAQE5mAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=ahOqYtnuOoSA0PEPobupgAk&bih=789&biw=1440&rlz=1C5CHFA_enCA908CA908&hl=en#imgrc=uteM9eP9WHeMqM
Compliment photo retrieved on June 15th, 2022 from: https://www.google.com/search?q=giving+a+compliment+cartoon&tbm=isch&hl=en&rlz=1C5CHFA_enCA908CA908&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjfl-ybgrD4AhUxIjQIHXz6DFEQrNwCKAB6BQgBEIIC&biw=1440&bih=789#imgrc=5evoz2m1XCw5vM
Self-Care photo retrieved on June 15th, 2022 from https://www.google.com/search?q=self+care+cartoon&tbm=isch&hl=en&chips=q:self+care+cartoon,g_1:motivation:seEH1d33Yds%3D&rlz=1C5CHFA_enCA908CA908&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiJsejjn7D4AhVDAjQIHeVnDqUQ4lYoBnoECAEQKw&biw=1440&bih=789#imgrc=7QxhgTxIiEM5hM