Hello BASK friends,
I am so glad that you are here. I want to remind you to sign up for the BASK Body Positivity Challenge, if you haven't already done so. To read more and register, please click here. It is not too late. For week 2, we are focusing on body appreciation and what that really means. Body appreciation is the notion of accepting one's body, valuing it, and treating it with self-care and compassion no matter what. Yep, no matter what. One of my BASK group attendees who was extremely dissatisfied with her body said that she didn't want to accept her body. I understood her dilemma and perspective. The key here is for people to meet one's self where one is while making decisions that are in line with one's values and goals. I talk about dialectics (the integration of opposites or walking the 'middle path") a lot with my clients. We can have both. For example, we can both be dissatisfied with our bodies while at the same time appreciating them, loving them, and treating them better. Recent data shows that only 24% of men and 20% of women are satisfied with their bodies. Woah! That means most men and women are dissatisfied with their bodies! It is time to change that. Am I right? Body dissatisfaction is associated with poor self-image, addictions, emotional eating, maladaptive coping behaviors, social withdrawal, depression, irritability, anxiety, eating disorders, and more.
For this week, I want to you to take some time each day to mention what you appreciate and like, heck even, love about your body and write it down. When we write things down, we are more likely to put a strong effort into those things. Focusing on the positive things that you like and appreciate about your body are likely not going to make you into a narcissist. Okay? We know that body disparaging talk is like a sport for many people, especially women. If you have shared a bathroom with women, you will likely get a front row seat to this spectacle. Instead of engaging in contagious body shaming, let's see what happens when we give attention to what we do like. I know. This is not easy, but things that are worth it are often not easy.
Please join this valuable discussion with me. Thanks for reading.
With gratitude,
Kerry