Have soft eyes and a compassionate voice towards yourself. Has anyone every told you that? This week’s video series focuses on negative self-talk and negative body image. How do we overcome, how do we be compassionate towards ourselves when all we hear are the negative voices now or from the past telling us we’re taking up too much space and don’t fit within the mold of what society says a body ‘should’ look like. That’s a lot. I encourage you to find a comfy spot to sit in, take a deep breath, watch these videos and find a safe place amongst family or friends to be on this journey with. 

IS NEGATIVE BODY TALK A HABIT OR SOMETHING DEEPER?

Is negative body talk a habit or something deeper. It’s both, friends. Let me just say that no one is born with a negative self-image, it’s taught to us. A key is opening up yourself to belonging inside yourself rather than attaching to an idea of a smaller version of you that someone (or society) has told you you need to be. Developing a compassionate voice towards yourself will aid you in that sense of belonging.

MAKING PEACE WITH THE PAST BODY SHAMING

Hurt people hurt people, even those who love us. Every time you feel hurt, little or small inside – orient yourself towards safe others because not every one we’ve grown up with or who are currently in our lives – those who ‘should’ be safe – are.

DON’T MISS THE GOOD

I’m a firm believer that we often are so focused on the negative things (particularly those who have shamed us or made us or others feel small) that we miss those in our lives who are body neutral or positive and genuinely love us for who we are and love being around us. This causes us to miss crucial safe spaces that are an important piece to our recovery.