Could you benefit from keeping some positive body affirmations in your arsenal? The answer to that might be yes if you have never really ever paid attention to the way that you are talking to yourself.
The words that we speak to ourselves in our own minds have a real impact on the way that we move through the world, our feelings of self worth, and our overall mood. But we can be so used to hearing them that they often pass by unnoticed.
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How to “Do” Positive Body Affirmations
Okay, you’d like to start being kinder to yourself. But how do you start?
Does this mean that you now have to stand in front of a mirror and say “I love my body”? If that resonates with you, then try it. But for many of us, such a statement can feel untrue and fraught with emotion.
A great place to start is just to pay attention to the ways in which you speak to yourself throughout the day. Record your thoughts in a journal or in the notes app on your phone.
From there, you can take a look at the information you’ve gathered and decide how it makes you feel. Maybe you are proud of what you see. Maybe you want to make some changes!
If you do think that you would like to tweak the way that you speak to yourself, an easy and simple way to do that is by using affirmations.
An affirmation is a fancy word for a word, phrase, or sentence that you repeat to yourself to make changes to the unconscious part of your mind. They can be written, spoken out loud, or repeated in your head silently.
Do Affirmations Work?
Honestly, they might and they might not! As with any “wellness tool,” affirmations may not be for everyone. The good news is that there is some science behind the use of affirmations for improving psychological outcomes.
In a study published in 2016 in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, self-affirmation theory is described as the ability to maintain a positive self-view even when self-competence is threatened.
When competence is threatened, affirmations can allow us to reflect on core values that may be able to prevent us from internalizing and believing the threat.
MRI was used to evaluate the neurological responses to affirmations. Results showed that participants using affirmations showed increased activity in the brain’s self-processing and valuation systems when thinking about future-oriented core values.
This brain activity was associated with positive behavior change in participants.
No one has ever hated themselves into a happier, healthier life. Any self-shaming that you are engaging in is not motivating you, despite the messaging that we get from diet culture.
Replacing those self-shaming thoughts with neutral and positive thoughts can be extremely powerful.
Wait, Is This Toxic Positivity?
Hearing someone say “just use an affirmation” when you are really going through it can sure feel like toxic positivity.
That’s why they might not be for everyone, every day of the week. Maybe a positive body affirmation feels jarring to you, and you’d rather reach for a neutral affirmation. Or maybe you’d rather not use an affirmation at all, and that is okay too!
If you’d like to give them a try, here are some ideas. Make your own unique changes; these are just examples! When you make them your own, you can come up with something really special and useful for your unique self.
25 Positive Body Affirmations
1. I am capable.
2. I deserve love the way I am.
3. My body is strong.
4. I don’t need to change my body.
5. I am caring for the 5 year old version of myself.
6. My body deserves to be cared for.
7. The things my body can do are gifts.
8. I am blessed to be getting older.
9. I know what is best for myself.
10. It’s okay for me to trust my body.
11. Not everyone has to like me, and I like me.
12. Life is happening now.
13. Food is life-giving and nurturing.
14. I can choose to move in ways that feel good.
15. Thank you, skin, for protecting me.
16. Thank you, stomach, for helping me turn my food into energy.
17. Only I can decide what is true about my own body and my own life experience.
18. I have never loved another person because of, or despite, their weight.
19. My body size is the least interesting thing about myself.
20. When I don’t focus on changing my body, I have the energy to do ANYTHING.
21. My body deserves clothes that feel good on it.
22. My body is always a beach body.
23. Changes in how our bodies look are normal, welcomed, and frequent.
24. My body is gentle but also powerful.
25. Listening and responding to the needs of my body are priorities.
The Bottom Line
Positive body affirmations are a great tool to keep handy. They are a simple, free practice that you can use multiple times a day – without anyone even knowing!
However, you’ll want to make sure that you are caring for yourself in ways that go beyond the use of body affirmations. Think of body affirmations as lagniappe – a little something extra. These tools are so much more likely to make a positive impact if you are engaging in other forms of self care like connecting with your community, taking care of your health, and nourishing your body.
Remember, your words have power. Use them for good!
Looking for more weight-inclusive ways to care for your body? Take a look at my nutrition archives.
