Bad body image days. The worst. No matter how long you’ve been working on your relationship with your body and how you view it, days like this don’t discriminate. They can come up out of nowhere when we least expect it. The good news is that with the right toolkit and a lot of patience, you can make it through and emerge a little stronger on the other side.
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Your Toolkit for Bad Body Image Days
Everyone’s toolkit is going to look different. The same thing that soothes one person when they are in any kind of distress may do nothing for another person. You can pick and choose from this list that I’ll provide: take what works, and leave what doesn’t.
That being said, here are some coping mechanisms that you can reach for when you’re having one of those days:
Nourish your body.
I’ll say it again: NOURISH YOUR BODY! This may seem counterintuitive on a day when you aren’t feeling very appreciative towards your body. But I promise you, emotions only become that much more heightened when we aren’t feeding ourselves. Plus, no one has ever mistreated their body into accepting it. What does it mean to nourish your body? This will be a little bit different for everyone! Here are some good places to start:
- make one of your favorite meals
- go out to eat at one of your favorite restaurants with a friend
- choose easy, convenient meals and snacks
- grocery shop to take care of your future self
- Remind yourself to eat every 3-4 hours
- Eat 3 meals
For folks experiencing food insecurity, the simple suggestion to “nourish your body” isn’t so simple. Food insecurity affects millions of Americans. I’d encourage you to check out Feeding America for federal food assistance programs. if you don’t have consistent, reliable access to safe and acceptable foods. I believe that safe and acceptable foods are a right and not a privilege, but in the United States especially that is not the experience that many have.
Dress really, really ridiculously comfortably.
A bad body image day is only going to be made worse by putting yourself through the discomfort of wearing ill-fitting clothes. On days like the one you’re having now, choose your softest, coziest clothes. For me, I can take the focus off of my body and direct it back towards all of the important things I want to do throughout my day when I put on my uniform. Actually I have two: super loose-fitting cotton shorts with a tshirt, or a pair of leggings and one of my favorite sweatshirts. If you’re going in to work, reach for your best-fitting and most comfortable work attire.
Create a playlist.
Create a playlist with all of the music that makes you feel like your most vibrant, happiest self. For me, it’s going to be chock full of Taylor Swift, Stevie Wonder, and Dolly Parton. Music is one of those special things that can get us out of our heads and into our bodies in a much less fraught way. There’s something so refreshing and renewing about putting in some headphones and transporting yourself to another dimension with your favorite songs.
Of course, this won’t magically take your out of it when you’re having a bad body image day. But that’s the beauty of having a toolkit: none of these tools are magic wands. When they’re fine-tuned to who you are and what you need, and when you can actually get yourself to reach for them, they can have a cumulative effect and really start to turn things around for you.
Consider this thought exercise.
Try this thought exercise: consider your younger self. When we think about our younger selves, we are better able to see ourselves as the vulnerable, acceptance-seeking people that we are. And you just may find it easier to find compassion for yourself when you think about who you were at 5 years old, 10 years old, or whichever age comes to mind. Consider that you are an older sibling taking care of your younger self, and think about how this young version of yourself would want to be spoken to. Would you use harsh, derogatory language? Or would you speak with love and care. (My guess would be that you’d choose the latter).
Consider this (other) thought exercise.
If thinking about your younger self didn’t resonate or if you are just looking for a little something extra, switch gears and think about your older self. Imagine that you are sitting in a comfy chair towards the end of your life. What would you be looking back on, and what would you wish that you’d done more of? Do you think that you’d wish that you’d eaten less, or that you were thinner? Personally, I don’t think that these thoughts will come to mind when I am reflecting on my life in the future.
Move your body.
Move your body in a way that seeks out fun, ease, and enjoyment. No need to check a workout off your list, sweat a ton, or spend a specific amount of time moving. On bad body image days, I personally like to head to my favorite playlist and roll out my yoga mat. What happens after that is between me and Dolly. Sometimes it’s a slow, short yoga flow. Other times I dance. Take what you need and enjoy the sensations. Moving your body in whatever way is accessible to you can help increase endorphins and shift your mindset away from what your body looks like and towards what your body can do for you.
Engage in an activity that gets you into a flow state.
The first thing that comes to mind for me is painting. When I’m feeling any tough emotion and I work on some art, I’m not pushing away the feelings but I am channeling my energy into something fun and productive. For you this might be playing an instrument, doing a puzzle, or reading a really good book.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that bad body image days are going to come around, and they’ll also go. If you experience days like this frequently, you may benefit from working with a therapist! If your food intake starts to suffer because of bad body image days, I’d also encourage you to work with a weight-neutral registered dietitian.
My hope for you is that you can open up the notes app on your phone and compile your own unique toolkit to reach for in the meantime. <3
If you’re interested in reading a bit more on body image and nutrition, head on over to that corner of my blog. Thanks for spending some time here with me, and I hope that you were able to take away some helpful tips.
