How to create a body positive environment
No matter where you are on your body confidence journey, it’s important to create a body positive environment.
The way you feel about yourself from moment to moment is largely a product of what you’re thinking about. In turn, your thoughts are highly influenced by your environment.
If you’re constantly surrounded by body negativity, that’s what you’ll internalise, and you’ll experience your body in a negative way.
It’s impossible to shut out all body negativity; but there are ways to make your environment a more body positive one.
Read inspiring quotes
I love reading quotes about positive body image. Whenever I’m feeling low in body confidence, there are few quotes that I turn to for a boost.
When you make reading quotes a daily habit, you train your brain to think positively about your body.
You can pin up your quotes where you can see them, read them, or make a screen saver out of them, whatever works for you.
There are many places you can find body positive quotes (searching for ‘body positive quotes’ on any search engine will return plenty), but my favourite place for quotes is social media.
I post body positive quotes on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram so if you want a daily fix of body positivity, come join me.
Join body positive networks and groups
I’ve met some incredible body positive individuals and organisations through Twitter and Facebook that are a constant source of body positivity and inspiration.
As well as joining me over on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram I’d recommend these amazing advocates for positive body image:
Be Real Campaign
Be Real campaigns to change attitudes to body image and help all of us put health above appearance and be confident in our bodies – you can find them on Facebook and Twitter
Beyond Chocolate
Beyond Chocolate’s mission is to help you feel good about the way you eat and how you look. It encourages you to ditch the dieting and trying to ‘be good’ and learn how to stop overeating.
As the UK’s Number 1 No Diet community, Beyond Chocolate can support you to making real changes to your relationship with food and your body.
You can follow Beyond Chocolate on Facebook and Twitter.
Beauty Redefined
Beauty Redefined is a non-profit organisation run by twin sisters Lexie & Lindsay Kite.
The sisters have PhD’s in body image resilience and are the authors of “More Than A Body: Your Body is an Instrument, Not an Ornament“
You can follow Beauty Redefined on Facebook and Instagram.
Learn about body image
When you really understand what body image means and the myths that surround it, it’s a lot easier to be positive about your body.
When I first started on my own body confidence journey, I read every body image book I could lay my hands on. This helped me understand what body image is and learn practical ways to see my body in a more positive light.
So do your research and become more enlightened about body image – it really will help you become more body positive.
If you want some good basic books to get you started, I’d recommend:
The Body Image Workbook by Thomas F Cash
Love your Body, Love your Life by Sarah Maria
Mirror, Mirror by Dr Linda Papadopoulos
Choose the people you hang around with carefully
The people you spend time with have a BIG influence on how positive you feel about your body.
It’s hard to stay body positive when you’re around people who are constantly talking about their weight, critiquing other women’s bodies, or commenting on yours.
If you have people in your life dragging your body image down, it’s time to assess how much time you spend with them.
In a nutshell
For positive body image to thrive, your environment needs to be conducive to body positivity.
Make sure that you are being proactive in surrounding yourself with resources and people that have a body positive attitude.
Want some help with creating a more body positive environment? Find out how you can work with me.
