Many of us wish our bodies looked different at one point in our lives or another. Our Registered Psychologist Olivia Dangas gives us an opportunity to shift our perspective.
Read her article below 🙂
Healing your relationship with your body does not come from forcing yourself to love how your body looks. Rather, it comes from developing a deepened sense of appreciation for everything our bodies do for us. This is summarized by a common term in the literature known as seeing our bodies as instruments instead of ornaments.
Social media and diet culture have taught us that our worth is based on how we look and often, how small we are. This body objectification leaves us hyper focused on the ornamental view of ourselves and can lead to harmful consequences such as disordered eating and low self-esteem. In contrast, having an instrumental view of our bodies involves intentionally focusing on the daily activities that our bodies allow us to participate in. For example, our hands allow us to write, our arms allow us to hug loved ones, our legs allow us to run after our children.
When we develop awareness and gratitude for our body functions, our body image improves. Positive body image comes from knowing our bodies are good and do good, regardless of how they look. It’s about valuing our bodies and prioritizing how we experience the world versus how we look.
What big or small amazing thing did your body allow you to do today? What are you grateful for? Try this every day for a week and see how you feel!
*Resource: More Than A Body (2020). Kite & Kite.
Thank you so much, Olivia. This is really helpful and important information.
Olivia would love to work with you. She works with Adults and Youth 13+.
Book your appointment with OLIVIA, here.
Cheers to loving ourselves and our bodies!
Penney