Every time you look in the mirror, you don’t like what you see.
Unfortunately, we live in a society that is too concerned with physical appearance. The downsides to this include you hating what you see when you look in the mirror. Not only not liking what you see when you look in the mirror, but you have also found this prevents you from eating what you want which hinders your ability to do things in life you want to do due to your body’s lack of energy. You are constantly criticizing yourself and not feel like they are worthy of recovery. If you keep on this path your life is going to be dictated by your eating disorder which has fooled you into thinking it is your identity and defines who you are.
Perhaps for you, it plays out in your life like body dissatisfaction and you avoid all mirrors as often as you can.
At times it might have felt like you can’t remember a time when you looked in the mirror and appreciated what you saw. You can’t recall the last time you gave yourself a compliment about your body and what it has done for you thus far.
Unfortunately, all this does is perpetuate the negative feelings you have about your body and how much physical appearance is connected to how you feel about yourself. You are so much more than your physical appearance.
Even though you may not like what you see when you look in the mirror in the morning, your body is working for you. When you fully embrace how your body functions and all it does for you, you will start to see that your body is a vessel and is capable of amazing things. Keep reading for three ways to start appreciating your body rather than judging it.
Although you struggle with liking what you see when you look in the mirror, when we work together you will be able to separate yourself from your eating disorder and begin to participate fully in activities that were otherwise not an option for you. Once you separate the ED from your identity, you will begin to realize its potential not to be consumed with thinking about food and begin to realize your eating disorder isn’t a part of you. You can start appreciating your body for the vessel that it is.
3 Ways To Show Your Body You Appreciate It
1. Gratitude List for Things you are Grateful your Body Can Do. When I do this in session with clients, they notice what their body does for them. When you do this at home you will notice the things your body does for you on a daily basis. Some examples include being grateful for your legs are you are able to walk and being grateful for someone close to you as you’re able to give them a hug.
2. Look in the Mirror and Look at yourself and List 3 Things You Like About Your Body. When I do this in session with clients, they begin to see parts of their body they like. They also begin to express the emotions that come to mind when looking at their bodies in the mirror. If a negative emotion or thought comes up, working through those thoughts and asking yourself if that is a fact or not can help discern these thoughts from facts. By practicing these exposures in therapy, when the client is home it can help with the separation from your ED and your identity and more checking the facts.
3. Look at Magazines and Look at Body Positive Quotes or Pictures of Strong Females. In the session, this will allow us to take a look at body positivity and learn helpful ways to embrace happy and healthy ways to talk about your body. When you do this at home, you will begin to see all the positive body types and learn to appreciate your own body for what it does for you on a daily basis without realizing it.
If you are ready to start appreciating your body for the beautiful vessel it is and realize that who you are is not defined by how you look…..