Seven Mental Habits to Improve Body Positivity

Do you struggle to view your body positively? If so, you are not alone! Many people have experienced this same struggle. The good news is that body negativity and body positivity both have more to do with what’s going on inside your mind then they do your actual appearance! Here are seven mental habits you need to start to improve your body positivity.

Prioritize “Healthy” Instead of “Beauty”

The most important thing you can do to encourage body positivity is to think in terms of health instead of terms of beauty. The two are often not the same. When you focus on becoming beautiful, it is easy to focus only on the negatives. But when we focus on making our bodies and our lifestyle healthy, we often look for the good things that we are doing. This subtle focus change lays the foundation for confident body positivity.

Set SMART Goals

Self-confidence helps us to have healthy body positivity. Your confidence can improve by achieving something new. That’s why you should use SMART goals when developing your healthy lifestyle. Smartsheet defines SMART goals as:

• Specific – A detailed description of what you want to achieve
• Measurable – Allows you to measure your success
• Achievable – You have the tools, time, or resources to implement your goal
• Relevant – Why it’s a relevant goal for you to pursue
• Time-bound – When you will complete your goal 

SMART Goals for a healthy lifestyle could be something like doubling the number of steps you take in a week or by eating two more servings of vegetables a day.

Use a Mirror to Find What You Like About Your Body

We all stare at ourselves critically in the mirror when we’re getting ready to go out. Don’t be hyper critical of yourself during this time! Instead, ask yourself, “What do I love about myself?”

Do you love your eye color or think you have a great smile? Maybe you have a freckle that you love or have great natural shape to your eyebrows. Whatever it is, make that your last thought before you walk away from the mirror.

Turn Your Scars into Something Beautiful

We all have physical scars on our bodies, too. We can find beauty in these scars if we think carefully about them. For example, a postpartum woman can find her new body beautiful when she focuses on the baby that it produced. Even scars from tragedies are proof that we have lived.

Do you have a scar that you wish was nonexistent? Do you have any reason to be grateful for that scar?

Compliment Others

Just like #3, this exercise is all about teaching you to focus on the positive. As you go throughout your day, make a habit of complimenting those around you. You don’t have to directly tell them. However, you do have to find the things that you admire.

This is not an exercise in comparison between you and somebody else. Instead, this is simply training your mind to focus on the positive and good things that you see instead of the bad things.

Write Down What You Like About Yourself

Take fifteen to twenty minutes to write down everything that you do like about yourself. Do not allow yourself to second guess what you write down. When you are comfortable with who you are, then it will be easier to like how you look as well.

Fake Confidence Even When You Don’t Feel It

Body positivity and confidence can feel like a battle with yourself. When you find yourself struggling to have healthy body positivity, then do yourself a favor by not engaging in the battle. Instead, fake your confidence even when you don’t feel very positive. Place a big smile on your face, hold your head high, and walk with a swagger. You might be surprised by how quickly your fake confidence becomes real!

If you struggle to be positive about your body, then this list might feel a little daunting. Remember that you don’t have to do all of these at once. Instead, pick one that you want to make a habit first!