What is Body Judgement?
When you negatively label your body, you're placing a judgement on it.
So, for example, thinking or saying things like.
"my body is.... ugly, too fat, too thin, unhealthy, unworthy, not good enough, not fit enough!"
This is putting a negative judgement on the body! It's the same as name-calling.
Why is Body Judgement Bad for You?
Think about how your best friend would feel if you said one of those negative body things to them?
Pretty crap?
Yep!
But we do it to ourselves all the time -- almost habitually.
When we judge ourselves this way we dismiss the other amazing things our body gives to us (or tries to, it's not always perfect, but this is also normal!)
Kind of like we did in the best friend example above.
It's like creating rift inside you!
How to stop judging?
So it makes sense that to improve body image, letting go of body judgements is an excellent place to start. But how?
Here are some suggestions:
- Start tuning into the way you talk about your body. If you notice that you're heading down the rabbit hole of negative body thoughts, try to pause, take a breath and let that thought pass without judging it further.
- Say 'thanks' to your body. We don't do that enough! Just a small acknowledgement for the things your body tries to do for you can help you build more compassion toward it.
- Redirect negative body comments. When you notice a friend is putting their own body down (or yours) if you feel comfortable to have a go at speaking up and correcting them. We must work together to all talk positively about ourselves unitedly.
Have a go at these steps above. The more you learn to acknowledge your hardworking body and let negative judgements pass the closer you'll feel to your beautiful, incredible body!
