How To Begin Accepting Your Body With This One Tool

I want to share one of the most powerful body image tools that I've used in my self-acceptance journey:

Re-DECIDING how I feel about my own body.

Not what society thinks it should be. Or men. The media. Friends or family. But ME - the only one out of the critics who is living in my skin.

The truth is, I've been uncomfortable with a lot of physical appearance things for a lot of years.

My droopy left eyelid.

The thinness of my hair.

The bump in my nose.

How my eyebrows don't fill out all of the way.

My tiny upper lip.

The shape of my jaw.

My bottom-heavy boobs (according to a sales associate at Victorias Secret).

The pooch in my lower belly.

How large my hands are.

How large my feet are.

The way my hangnails bleed.

The way my toes curl (all 10 of them).

A beauty mark on my chest.

The frown lines on my forehead.

The shape of my teeth.

My ass.

The puddle of skin in between my bra strap and armpit…what do you call that anyway? Oh yes- SKIN.

ETC.

All of this self-doubt according to WHO?

Where did I learn a standard of beauty that's so unrealistic & has kept my mind preoccupied with how I need to “fix” myself rather than BE more myself? (the answer: diet culture + the patriarchy).

There's a lot more to add to this list. Not everything on here has felt horrible at the same time. And sometimes it has.

At this point in my body image journey, I don't think about these insecurities that often (I still have my days though that's for sure)…

And a large part of that is because of re-deciding how I CHOOSE to think about my body, which has allowed my feelings about these insecurities to radically shift.

Talk about freeing!!!

Today my relationship with myself is celebratory, fierce, protective, playful, and compassionate.

This “re-decision tool” is something that I pull out around insecurities/self-doubt often (in many areas of life) & one that I'd love to offer to you.

Is there a part of yourself that you need to re-decide is 10000% enough just as it is?

P.S. This is my truth AND I believe it's important to recognize my privilege in sharing it- straight size, able-bodied, white, cisgender, heterosexual. I'm fully aware of the stigma I've skirted past in my life (more thoughts on this for another time).

P.S.S. If you want even more tools + resources for feeling more comfortable in your skin, be sure to grab your free copy of my Body Acceptance Starter Kit.