How to live a body confident life, your way

In pursuit of a body confident life

What would a body confident life look like for you?

Back when I first started out on my body confidence journey, my head was full of thoughts about what my body should and shouldn’t look like, and what I needed to do to have the ‘perfect body’.

One of the things I did to drown out those voices was to create my own voice.  I imagined what I’d be saying to myself, and what I’d be doing if I really valued and cared for my body.

The manifesto – a recipe for a body confident life

I created my own ‘body confidence manifesto’ which set out my aims for the way that I wanted to relate to my body.

It was a revelation.  As I began to live more and more according to my manifesto, so my body confidence improved.

If you’re sick and tired of listening to the voice of the media, society, friends and family when it comes to your body, creating your own ways of living a body confident life can really help.

Deciding for yourself how you want to treat, think and feel about your body puts you firmly in control. When you rely on external rules or validation, you set yourself up for body discontent.

Creating your intentions for a body confident life

A manifesto is simply your declaration of ‘intent’.  I like to think of my manifesto as the choices I wish to make in relation to my body.

Here’s the process that I used to create my manifesto:

Step 1: Ask – how would I treat my body if I valued and respected it?

Think about the things you would do for your body e.g. rest more often, eat nutritious food.  What would you no longer tolerate from yourself or others? e.g. negative comments. What would you believe about your body? e.g. it’s not an ornament?  Write your answers out.

Step 2: Write down 10 aims

From your answers to those questions, write down 10 things that you aim to do in relation to your body, e.g. “I pledge to appreciate my body for what it does every day.  It is a vehicle for achieving my dreams, not an ornament.”

Step 3: Put up your manifesto

Put your body confidence manifesto up somewhere you can see it often.

Step 4: Revisit your manifesto

Look at it regularly, especially when you experience any dissatisfaction or negativity about your body – use you manifesto as a guideline for how to react or to ease any anxiety you experience.

Now create your own manifesto for a body confident life

When you choose to live a body confident life by following the aims of your manifesto, it will help to change your thoughts and feelings about your body, as well as the way you treat it.

I’d love to know: what does a body confident life look like for you? What’s one of your favourite intentions on your manifesto?  Leave me a comment below 🙂