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Would you believe me if I told you that your body image has very little to do with your actual physical body and more about your mindset?
Body image didn’t just become relevant because you’re focusing on your health & fitness.
Body image is our perception and attitude towards our body that includes cognitive, affective (think mood & feelings) and behavioural dimensions. Break that down and it’s our thoughts and beliefs about our body.
These dimensions come from…
-historical & developmental influences; culture, socialization & interpersonal influences
-weight stigma and bias; internalized weight bias, physical changes & characteristics
-personality traits
Each of these dimensions come together to create core assumptions
Each of these dimensions come together to create core assumptions we have that impact how we interpret reality, also known as schemas. These schemas are a part of us and tend to go unnoticed or unchallenged. The more of these assumptions we agree with, found that their peace of mind was disrupted more and had more problematic body image experiences.
While there are several different appearance assumptions
While there are several different appearance assumptions, these are the 10 that tend to be the most potent.
Physically attractive people have it all.
My worth as a person depends on how I look.
I should always do whatever I can to look my best.
The first thing that people will notice about me is what’s wrong with my appearance.
If people knew how I really look, they would probably like me less.
By managing my physical appearance, I can control my social and emotional life.
My appearance is responsible for much of what has happened to me in my life.
If I could look just as I wish, my life would be much happier.
My culture’s messages make it impossible for me to be satisfied with my appearance.
The only way I could ever accept my looks would be to change my looks.
The two main reasons we may experience a distorted view of ourselves & our bodies are
-self deception: this applies to those who find themselves feeling uncomfortable with honest self-awareness, that is, becoming aware of shortcomings and the level of self-criticism within one’s inner dialogue
-the need for self-consistency: our need to confirm/conform to our self-perceptions - convinced that the way we look at ourselves is the only true version that can exist, leading us to insist and even defend that having negative body image is appropriate
We know that emotions flow from how we talk to ourselves
We know that emotions flow from how we talk to ourselves, which is why being attuned to our self-talk is so important.
When we know what we are thinking, we can then start to correct/change it, with tools like “Corrective Restructuring” or corrective thinking (body image CBT).
Body image ABCs
So I want to leave you with a framework you can pull on in moments of distorted thinking called Body Image ABCs, that will help increase your awareness of self-talk.
The A stands for Activators or Antecedents : these are events that activate or trigger feelings about your appearance
the B stands for Beliefs: this refers to our thoughts & interpretations of the activator - so the internal dialogue you’re having
Lastly, the C stands for Consequences: how you respond emotionally and behaviorally
Questions to guide your awareness
Here are some questions you might find helpful as you pull on the Body Image ABCs
-What am I feeling?
-What happened to lead me to feel this way?
-What am I thinking/saying about myself in this circumstance?
-How am I reacting to this experience?
Final thoughts
If one of the appearance assumptions hit home and you’re interested in learning more about how to swap some of those appearance assumptions with more objective thinking, reach out to any of our HMCC Level 2 Health Advisors for continued support.
Remember, everyone is capable of living wildly fulfilling lives, unaffected by what our bodies look like.
What would your life look like if you had an expert team fully invested in your health- designing your strategy, refining your approach, and leveraging advanced testing and analysis to keep you performing at your best? That's exactly what we do at LVLTN Health.
The first step is a free consultation call. You just need to fill out a short application so we can make the most of our time together. The call itself is a no-pressure conversation, providing you with all the details you need to make the decision on whether we are the best fit!
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