I am far from perfect in my own body neutrality. Some days I still wish I could hide under a baggy sweatshirt, or I find myself wondering what the scale would say, and on those days, I attempt to engage in two cognitions:
- Recovery is not linear, and poor body image days are human.
- Body neutrality is imperfectly sufficient. </br>
Now, if you don’t trust an undergraduate student working to obtain her degree to give you sound advice, I would first say fair enough, and second, I would offer you some ways to remain grounded in body neutrality from a licensed therapist. Brooke Schwartz, Primary Therapist here at Skyway, she explained that it is important to remember that thoughts and actions are not one in the same. She reiterated that it’s normal to have days in which your body image is abject. However, on those days, your actions do not have to reflect your thoughts. Instead, you can break your disordered eating cycle by gently reminding yourself that negative or distressing thoughts are a part of the human experience, and you still deserve to take care of your body.