5 Tips for Practicing Body Kindness This Summer & Body Kindness Support Group
Summer can be a particularly difficult time if you’re struggling with body acceptance. Warmer weather, clothes that show more skin, and the pressure to have “a swimsuit-ready body” create a ton of anxiety around this time of year. The pressure to look a certain way can easily take away all of the fun, freedom, and carefreeness that we associate with this time of year.
This summer, let’s take the power away from diet culture and empower you to feel good in your body and celebrate what summer is all about- fun, relaxation, and connection!
1. Wear clothes that fit your here-and-now body
Your here-and-now body refers to just that- your body as it is right now in this moment. Don’t buy clothes to fit the body you want or hope to have after finishing your latest diet. How your clothes fit is going to have a huge impact on how you feel in your body that day, and wearing clothes that fit and that you feel good in is an important part of taking care of yourself. If your closet is full of clothes that don’t fit anymore: get rid of the ones that don’t fit! And if it’s in your budget, treat yourself to some new staple items that fit comfortably. Remember- it’s the clothes job to fit you, not your job to fit into the clothes. Having comfy summer clothes in your closet to throw on on a hot day can relieve some of the body image anxiety that comes with summertime.
2. Avoid excessive mirror checking
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with making sure your outfit matches or checking that you can’t see your undies through your dress, but it can become a problem if you look in the mirror every day and overanalyze your body. Give yourself a quick once-over if you need to and then move on with your day. Summer should be about being present in fun moments, not about how your body looks.
3. Do a social media cleanse
Social media affects us significantly. Much like obsessively mirror checking can be harmful, obsessively checking social media can be harmful as well. Our feeds are flooded with “influencers” whose only job is to do cool stuff and look a certain way. Talk about impossible standards. Start curating your feed with accounts that inspire you and make you feel good rather than making you feel like you’re not good enough. Explore accounts outside of models and celebrities. Follow people of all different shapes and sizes. Or, ditch social media altogether and get outside to enjoy the sunshine.
4. Practice body gratitude
When you’re preoccupied with how your body looks, it’s easy to focus on all of the things you see “wrong” with it and forget all of the amazing things it does for you every day. Your body has your back- it keeps you alive, allows you to move through the world and experience life, connect with other people, go on adventures, and so much more. Creating a habit of expressing gratitude for your body is an effective way to challenge body dissatisfaction. Each time you have a negative judgment about your body, think of or write down 3 things about it that you’re grateful for.
5. Eat!
Nourish your body regularly with satisfying foods. Giving your body enough food and incorporating pleasure into your eating experiences is an important part of taking care of yourself. Your body is worthy of nourishment, every day. Your body deserves to be fed delicious foods just like it deserves clothes that fit. You have permission to enjoy ice cream on a hot day, a hamburger at a cook out, popcorn at a baseball game, or any other food just because.
Body Kindness Virtual Support Group starts June 9, 2021- now enrolling!
If you or someone you know would like more support and accountability going into the summer and are interested in learning more about practicing body kindness, SD Nutrition Group’s Body Kindness Virtual Support Group is starting Wednesday, June 9th at 10:30am! We’ll meet on Zoom once a week each Wednesday for 12 weeks.
In this group, we’ll read and discuss the book Body Kindness by Rebecca Scritchfield, RDN. We’ll complete activities from the book together and do some experiential activities along the way. This group is a great way to kickstart your body kindness journey going into the summer months. You can find more info about the group here, and to sign up, send us an email at claire@sdnutritiongroup.com. You don’t have to be 100% body positive or have mastered intuitive eating to join; all are welcome in this space. Every body is a summer body!