14 Ways To Boost Your Body Image This Holiday Season
The holiday season can be wonderful. And it also creates the perfect storm for your body image to take a nosedive.
Think about it. You’re busy. Shopping. Baking. Going to parties. Maybe working extra to help pay for it all? You’re tired from all the above. You’re out of your routine. There are cookies everywhere. Your group fitness instructor is talking about how many burpees you need to do to burn off said cookies. It’s hard to work out at all because your family is in town. Your great-grandma with no filter just made a rude comment about your weight again. Everyone is talking about what diet they’re gonna do for the new year.
Suddenly you feel like garbage.
You pretty much know that diets don’t work. But for a moment you should question if you should do just one more? It’s not really a diet if you don’t have to count calories right? (It is though.) Here’s the deal:
The solution to your body image issues is not keto. Promise.
Is society nicer to thin people? 100% yes, and it sucks. Is it possible to be thin and still struggle with body image? Also yes. Body image work is an inside job. And it’s not something that you just do once and then you’re good. It’s like showering or brushing your teeth. It’s daily work. Here are 14 ways you can boost your body image this holiday season:
1. When you find yourself having a “Bad Body Day” ask yourself why.
Take note of what sorts of things happen leading up to you having a “bad body day”. Does it happen when you’re sleep deprived? Hanging around certain people? Stressed about work? Scrolling Instagram? What can you do to try to minimize the things that are making you feel like garbage?
2. Curate Your social Media.
Speaking of social media, curate yours. Constantly. Unfollow or mute accounts that are making you have negative thoughts about your body. Unsubscribe from email lists that don’t align with your values. Or take a break from technology for a bit. (After you finish this blog post of course 😉
3. Have a support system in place.
Make sure you have someone you trust to talk to about this stuff. Don’t have anyone who understands you in real life? There are online communities and coaches who are committed to helping you work through this stuff. You don’t have to go it alone!
4. Don’t restrict yourself.
It can seem like the most logical choice to restrict your food, especially if you’re getting ready to go to a holiday party. Don’t! Make sure you eat enough throughout the day so you can make choices based on what feels good for you. Not the fact that you’re hangry.
5. Don’t neglect your self-Care either.
Make sure you’re taking time to take care of yourself the best ways that you know how. Get enough sleep. Drink water. Eat nutritious food AND fun festive food. Move your body! Even if your routine is a little different this time of year, it all counts.
6. Don’t obsess over the numbers.
If there was ever a good time to let go of your attachment to the number on the scale, it’s now. Your weight will probably fluctuate a bit, and that’s ok. If you that seeing that number is going to ruin your day, don’t go there.
7. Wear things that FIT!
If you insist on wearing that dress from 2006 that no longer fits you well, you’re gonna be miserable. Choose something else. Literally anything else.
8. Gift yourself body positive goodies.
Fill your wish-list with body positive or anti-diet books and art. Buy clothes from brands that use diverse models and have inclusive sizing. Sign up for services from your favorite online business owners. Or if it’s not in your budget right now, consume their free content (like this post!) and “gift” it to your friends by sharing.
9. Do things that enhance the way you wanna feel.
Changing your physical state can do wonders for your mental state. Some of my favorite ways to do this include: Take a hot shower. Step outside in the cold. Get sweaty. Carry a smaller/lighter bag for the day. Crank your favorite song and sing at the top of your lungs. Do something that makes you laugh. Understand that “fat” is not a feeling, then learn to label and deal with the underlying feeling instead.
10. Decide in advance how you might deal with diet talk.
It’s inevitable this time of year. People are gonna talk about their food and exercise in terms of “good” vs. “bad”. You might have family members who like to comment on your food or your body. Decide in advance you you wanna deal. Do you wanna make a joke of it and change the subject? Be direct and call bull$hit? Do you just need to leave? All are valid choices.
11. Think about what other goals you might set.
It’s normal to start to consider going on a diet or “detox” come January first. It’s normal to want to start some extreme fitness program that’s gonna drive you to burn out. If it’s fitness you’re after, there are plenty of ways to measure your progress that don’t involve micromanaging your weight. Better yet, consider setting some goals for the New Year that are completely unrelated to health and fitness!
12. Set some boundaries.
In many cases, when we feel low on energy we decide to take it out on our bodies. Who/what is sucking the life force out of you? Whose party do you not want to go to? What shift do you not want to pick up at work? Who do you really not want to grab coffee with? Say no. Maybe no thank you, if you’re feeling nice. 😉
13. Learn about why you struggle with body image in the first place.
Learn about where beauty standards come from. About the real origins of body positivity. Learn about intersectional feminism and racism. Intuitive eating and Health At Every Size. Learn from people whose lived experiences are different from your own and do more listening than talking when you do.
14. Reframe and name the negative voices in your head.
I didn’t originate this idea, and there are many versions of it. But instead of “Uggggghhh I’m so xxxxxx.” Say something like: “The story I’m telling myself is that xxxxxx.” Then question whether or not those statements are actually true.
