What Happens When You Judge Your Body?
Deepak Chopra says that judgment creates "turbulence in our mind" and separates us from what we are judging.
If you think about it, judging your body based on its physical qualities can have the same impact! It can separate us from the close connection we have with ourselves.
What is Body Judgement?
When you negatively label your body, you're placing a judgment on it.
For example, thinking or making comments like:
"my body is.... ugly, too fat, too thin, unhealthy, unworthy, not good enough, not fit enough!," is putting a negative judgment on the body! It's the same as name-calling.
Why is Body Judgement Bad for You?
Think about how your best friend would feel if you said one of those negative body things to them?
Pretty bad?
Yep!
But we do it to ourselves all the time, almost habitually.
When we judge ourselves this way, we dismiss the other amazing things our body gives to us (or tries to, it's not always perfect, but this is also normal!)
It's like creating a rift inside you!
How to Stop Judging Your Body?
To take steps to improve your body image, letting go of body judgments is an excellent place to begin. But how?
Here are some suggestions:
- Start listening to the way you talk about your body. If you notice that you're heading down the rabbit hole of negative thoughts and making judgments, try to pause, take a breath and let that thought pass without judging it further.
- Say 'thanks' to your body. We don't do that enough! Just a small acknowledgment for the things your body tries to do for you can help you build more compassion toward it.
- Redirect negative body comments. When you notice a friend is putting their own body down (or yours) if you feel comfortable to have a go at speaking up and correcting them. We must work together to all talk positively about ourselves unitedly.
Have a go at these steps. The more you learn to acknowledge your hardworking body and let negative judgments pass, the closer you'll feel to your beautiful, incredible body! If you're looking for support to help you overcome negative thoughts and feelings about your body, this positive body affirmations zine is just the tool to help.
