Summer brings skimpier clothing, no matter what your style is, because it’s HOTTER than normal. For many, that can be challenging due to underlying body image struggles. For me, body image has been an on and off battle since I was 18 years old. It all started when I stepped foot on my college campus as a part of the D1 track team. Suddenly, I became hyperaware of my body—I wanted to look like my fellow track athletes. And this led to an ongoing battle with body image that still invades my space from time to time. Sadly, I know body image battles are all too common and I wanted to talk about ways to overcome them.
First, listen to these episodes of the Knight Fit Podcast where body image is discussed: 84. is an episode with my twin sister where we talk about D1 running and body image, 112. where I discuss how to overcome your fear of weight gain, 99. where I discuss gaining 30 lbs on purpose and recovering from an eating disorder, 60. where I discuss how to love your body at every stage and MORE!
Here are some of my go-to methods to defeat negative body-image thoughts:
-Put on an outfit you feel confident and comfortable in. I cannot emphasize this enough. Finding an outfit that makes you feel “safe” but also like yourself is a game changer for boosting your mood.
-Disregard sizing and order clothes that fit. Look, my body has changed a LOT in the last year or so—and now that I’m pregnant, it’s changing every single day. This means: NEW CLOTHES! And when I pick out new summer items I care very little about the technical size I’m ordering and focus solely on how it fits my body and makes me feel.
-Surround yourself with people who make you feel confident and at peace. It’s easy to pick yourself apart when surrounded by people who talk persistently about their body/other bodies, have toxic diet habits, skip meals, comment on weight, notice everything about someone’s appearance, etc. It’s okay to maintain friendships and relationships—but making sure you’re aware of other people’s impacts on your body image is crucial, even if it means creating space this summer so you can feel comfortable.
-Ditch the long mirror for a full day and look less at your body. Easier said than done, but by merely focusing less on your physical body (even challenging yourself for a day) you will feel happier, notice you care less and are able to be more present. I 11/10 recommend this challenge.
-Make a list of traits you love about yourself that have NOTHING to do with your body. If willing, have someone you love do the same for you. Read those lists. Reread them again. Odds are, most things you and others like about you have nothing to do with your physical size or shape.
-Write down affirmations and stick them to your mirror! I do this. It WORKS! I see my affirmations every single day and I echo them back to myself when I need it.
-Give your hype woman/person a call. I always call/text my fraternal twin sister when I need someone to remind me I am indeed beautiful.
-Get outside your head: go see a grandparent, go to a scenic spot, call someone in need, etc. Getting perspective of how vast this life is and how there’s more to it than yourself helps…a lot.
