We have all had them, we know what they are like, and we definitely do not enjoy them. The days you wake up, look in the mirror and see nothing but flaws. It might be a sudden breakout, feeling bloated, somehow disfigured, or just ridiculously dissatisfied with the way you look. The culprit is different for each individual person, but the outcome is usually similar: a really crappy day.
I say bad body image days for a reason. Our body is like an abstract painting that matches our emotions. If you are in a good mood, even the strangest paintings can elicit a positive emotion. A bad mood could mean that the same painting you looked at yesterday now appears unfamiliar and messy. The way we view our bodies is almost identical. A mirror reflects the image, and we analyze this image; our analysis of it and our emotions towards it change on a daily basis.
Equipped with the knowledge that your mental state can impact the way you see yourself physically, it is easier to handle those days. Here are some other tips I have picked up over the years:
1. When you hate your body the most is when it needs the most love.
This may sound counterintuitive, but if you wake up thinking you gained 10 pounds and really let yourself go, your first thought might be to restrict the food you eat that day. You may try to punish yourself by spending more time at the gym, trying to fix a flaw that does not actually exist. Food is necessary for survival. No matter what is happening, you need to eat. Movement like working out should be something you do to celebrate yourself and your strength. If you use the gym to punish yourself, the only person that is going to feel better at the end of the day is the little voice in your head making you doubt yourself.
2. “Loving your body does not have to be your goal.”
Ashley Bennet, a therapist who works with body image, posted this quote on her Instagram. When those inevitable bad days happen, you don’t need to be in love with your body. You just need to respect it. It is like having an argument with a family member you are close to. In the moment, you may not love that family member, but that does not mean that you would tell them they are a horrible person that needs to be punished. Just because you may not love your body in that moment does not mean that it deserves your hate.
3. Focus on other things.
Today may not be the day to go clothes shopping, switch out your summer and winter clothes, or do anything related to your body. Instead, do something that highlights another aspect of your life. Good at drawing? Draw something. Writing makes you happy? WRITE! Dogs put a smile on your face? Find a dog and pet it. When my friend and I had bad body image days, we would walk to the dog park next to campus and literally just watch the doggos run back and forth, pet them, and talk about how we wished we had a dog.
4. Wear what you feel most confident in.
This one is self-explanatory. If wearing leggings and a t-shirt is what you feel most comfortable in, do it. If a full face of makeup, jeans, and an adorable top is your thing….GO FOR IT. Pajamas? Prom dress? WEAR IT! This day is about you feeling like a queen.
5. This too shall pass.
A very simple sentence, but one that holds so much meaning. The way we perceive our body is constantly shifting. It is filled with peaks and valleys. If you find yourself in a valley remember that there is a way out. You will come out on top. You are an abstract beautiful work of art. That is all you need to be.