Summer is here. It’s a wonderful time of the year. A time when people relax, cut loose, get together, take vacations, hit the beach, put on shorts and tank tops. It’s also a time when we see an increase in negative body image, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and negative self-talk. We see these rates increase in women of all ages. If you’re not a woman, I would encourage you to read this to the end as you more than likely have girls or women in your life.
It’s not really surprising that we see increases in these issues. During summer months clothing styles change. This change can trigger insecurities. Social media, airbrushed models, summer diets and “bikini” body workouts are everywhere. I challenge you to go to a store and find a magazine that does not have a headline about losing weight, getting a “summer body” or showcasing an attractive female. If you struggle with any sort of negative body image or low self-esteem, summer can make things much worse.
Society tells women that their worth is wrapped up in body image. Women need to look a certain way, be a certain size, dress a certain way. One of the really hard things about this is the insidious way in which we are sent messages about our worth and value being directly related to appearance. When we start looking at it this way, it’s easier to understand why so many women struggle with body image, low self-esteem, and eating disorders. It’s even easier to see how summer can trigger some of these issues.
There are a few things you can do if you struggle during the summer. First, become aware of your triggers. Are you triggered by seeing advertisements? Is food a trigger? Do you wear clothes that you don’t like simply to “look good?” Do you skip meals, restrict, or binge because you indulged at the family get together? Do you look in the mirror and compare yourself to others? These are just a few examples of some of the things that can trigger anxiety, depression, body image issues, and low self-esteem.
Which brings up an important topic: what can you do about it? I’m sure you’ve heard about body positivity. It’s a current buzz word; a social movement. It encourages people to accept their bodies no matter the size, shape, jiggles, cellulite, stretch marks, etc. While body positivity is an amazing movement, and will hopefully elicit change in our society, it does not always help with the above issues.
Sometimes body positivity can exclude certain people, particularly those that are thin and self-critical of their thinness. It also tends to focus on, you guessed it, the body. Ironic right? Here we are saying we shouldn’t be defined by our bodies, we should make changes to what society thinks about bodies, yet body positivity emphasizes–bodies. Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m all for the body positivity message. I support it. But it does have its limitations.
I would suggest an alternative—body neutrality. This accepts that you might not love everything about your body. Work on being more neutral about your body. You don’t have to assign positives and/or negatives to your body. It’s ok to be neutral or even indifferent about it. This places your focus not so much on your body, but on other aspects of yourself. Who you are as a person. Are you kind, compassionate, intelligent, humble, defiant, independent, resourceful, adventurous, stubborn, loyal? This is where we can begin to shift thoughts. If you find yourself thinking or saying negative things about your body, try shifting that to focus on your core being—who you truly are. What’s amazing about that person? Focus on these things rather then your physical body.
Another strategy to begin overcoming body triggers is to move to a more health focus perspective. How strong and capable is your body? Did your legs take you somewhere today? Does your heart pump blood to your vital organs keeping you alive? Do your lungs provide you breath? Begin to respect your body for the amazing thing it is. This has nothing to do with size or shape. Your body is absolutely amazing. Once you begin to realize this, you can make another shift into healthier living. This sort of living honors your body. It takes care of your body. Perhaps you begin to eat a bit healthier or move a bit more. Not in an effort to change how you look, but rather as a way to stay strong and energetic. An effort to live a your best life.
A few other practical tips include: limiting social media accounts that glorify an unrealistic view of the body. Try following body positivity leaders instead. Also, stop the comparison game. No good comes from comparing your body to someone else’s body. Each person is unique. Your body and my body are not meant to be exactly the same. And please, stop comparing yourself to people you see on magazines or social media. So many of those images are edited. I like to remind myself, “they are seeing exactly what they want me to see.”
Body image, self-esteem, eating disorders, body neutrality, and insecurities can all come bubbling up this time of the year. Simple awareness is a great place to start in healing the relationship between your worth and your body. Be kind to yourself. Begin to let go of your beliefs that your worth is tied to how you look. It isn’t. Instead, recognize the fantastic things about you as a person. Your attributes. The journey to self-acceptance is not easy. It doesn’t happen overnight. But, you can get there. Start that journey this summer.
To Health, Hope, and Healing
Krista
Krista Demuth, MS LPC, CATP is a professional counselor specializing in mental health for children, adolescents, and adults. She is a Certified Child and Adolescent Trauma Professional. She is licensed in Wisconsin and provides service to the St Croix River Valley and surrounding areas.