We all have bad days…
Including bad body image days!
Whether you hate your body or are at a good place on your journey to love your body, you will have bad days.
When I realized this on my self-love journey, that I could have bad days and still love my body, it was a turning point for me.
I learned how to push through the bad days and I started to have more good days than bad.
There are certain things we can do that will make the bad days easier though. Here are 3:
- Give yourself grace
None of us are perfect, so why do we expect ourselves to be?
When we have bad days, we need to accept ourselves for where we are. Tearing ourselves down will only make us feel worse about our bodies.
Acknowledge and accept that you are having a bad day. And keep trying.
Instead of tearing yourself down, try encouraging yourself.
- Take care of your body
Bad body image days are not an excuse to throw in the towel. They should be motivation to work harder to feel good in your body.
Continue your daily habits that make you feel good, but be intentional in the acts.
Think about what your workout is doing for your body. Be aware of the energy and fuel that food gives you. Do things that make you feel good in your skin.
Don’t punish your body. Punishing your body will only make you feel worse.
You don’t need to eat less or exercise more because you are having a bad body image day.
You need to move your body and fuel your body in a way that feels good.
Taking care of your body isn’t about punishment, it’s about feeling good in your skin.
- Challenge your thoughts
Your thoughts are likely the place where all of the action is taking place on bad body image days.
DON’T LET IT CONSUME YOU.
Challenge the thoughts to avoid being consumed by the thoughts.
If your thought is “I’m so fat” say to yourself “I am perfect just the way I am” (or any other thought that encourages you to shift the thought).
Don’t stay stuck in your thoughts. Staying stuck is probably the worst thing you can do to yourself.
For more on challenging your thoughts, check out my blog post on challenging your thoughts about your body.
Don’t let your mind defeat you. You will have good days and you will have bad days.
The most important thing: DON’T GIVE UP.
All you have to do is keep going. Keep trying.
You will always have bad days. What matters is how you deal with those bad days.
