Let’s talk about body love and acceptance.
An article was published years ago that brought truth to light about how messages about a body’s worth is contagious. In the article, a daughter found a photo of her mother in a bathing suit and thinks that her mother looks beautiful. The daughter goes on to recount that this memory was made profound by her mother’s later statements about her body. The daughter thought her mother looked glamorous. The mother shared aloud all of the flaws and disappointments of her body. This conflict of perspective at the daughter’s young age led to her questioning and ultimately changing to the belief that bodies have to earn love and acceptance. The daughter has since found her way back to a place of body acceptance and love.
Your body is worthy of love.
This article gives us a reminder to have perspective. Most importantly, that you are not hardwired to hate or criticize your body. You are built to love your body. Criticism is learned, therefore, it can be unlearned. Ask a small child what they like about their bodies and they will give you a whole list. Ask them what their bodies are good at and they will give an answer about how their bodies bring them joy through running, being able to give hugs, playing with toys, swimming, dancing, etc.
Take a minute to think back on your own story. When did you adopt others’ criticisms? When did you lose appreciated and love for your body? What steps are you taking to regain a healthy relationship with your body?
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