Body Image - How Can I Improve It?
Ready for Summer, Not for Pressure: How Therapy Can Help You Build a Healthier Body Image
As the weather warms up and the seasons change, many people begin to feel the pressure of getting “summer-ready.” Spring break and summer vacations often bring with them the expectation of being confident in swimwear, shorts, and lighter clothing. But with these expectations comes the risk of increasing negative body image, especially with the influence of social media and societal beauty standards.
Body image is an essential aspect of mental health, and it affects how we view ourselves and interact with the world. A negative body image can lead to emotional distress, low self-esteem, and lonliness.
If you’ve struggled with body image issues, you are not alone. Many people experience dissatisfaction with their appearance. The good news is that, with the right strategies, you can improve how you feel about your body. Let’s explore some actionable ways to enhance your body image by understanding why we may have a negative body image, cultivating self-compassion and acceptance, and as a result, boosting your mental well-being.
Understanding the Causes of Poor Body Image
What is body image? Body image is how we perceive and feel about our physical appearance. Body image is a construct, a perception of how we see ourselves that is influenced by situations, thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Body image is fluid, it can change from day to day or even moment to moment.
A positive body image involves seeing oneself in a healthy, accepting light, whereas a poor body image can contribute to emotional distress, anxiety, and even physical health problems. The roots and development of poor body image can be complex and varied, involving a combination of environmental and biological factors. By understanding these causes, we can take steps toward promoting healthier self-esteem and mental well-being.
Biology
It’s important to recognize that body image is not solely a product of external influences. Genetics and biological factors play a significant role in determining what’s known as bio-temperament, which relates to the conductors of emotional perception of the world around you, influencing how you perceive yourself and others. This means your biological makeup can determine your ability to have high attention to detail, high social comparison with others, and a sensitivity to perceived criticism. All of these factors can influence a negative body image from a very young age.
Mental Health Conditions and Disorders
Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders are strongly linked to poor body image. Those suffering from conditions like anorexia nervosa, bulimia, or body dysmorphic disorder often experience extreme dissatisfaction with their physical appearance, sometimes to the point of seeing their bodies as distorted, even when they are not.
Moreover, mental health disorders can create a negative cycle, where poor body image exacerbates symptoms of anxiety and depression, and vice versa. Individuals struggling with mental health challenges may find it difficult to break free from these harmful thought patterns without professional intervention.
Our body image on any given day is greatly influenced by our emotions. If we are feeling depressed, our thoughts about ourselves are more negative. If we are feeling anxious, focusing on our bodies gives us distraction and a sense of control.
2. Environment
Societal and Cultural Standards
From a young age, individuals are bombarded with societal and cultural expectations of beauty. Media outlets such as television, social media, and magazines often showcase unrealistic beauty standards, frequently emphasizing thinness for women and muscularity for men. These depictions often don't align with the natural diversity of body types, leading people to feel that their bodies must conform to these narrow ideals.
The pressure to attain an ideal body, often unattainable or photoshopped, can contribute to feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction. The constant comparison to others, especially in a social media-driven world, amplifies these emotions, making it more difficult to appreciate one’s body as it is. For many, it becomes difficult to separate the filtered, edited version of reality from the truth. This culture of editing and airbrushing can make individuals feel that they, too, need to "perfect" their appearance to gain acceptance or validation.
Family and Childhood Influences
Our early experiences, particularly within the family unit, can have a lasting impact on how we perceive our bodies. Negative comments about weight, appearance, or physical features, even if not intended to be hurtful, can shape how we view ourselves. Parents or caregivers who place an emphasis on weight or appearance, whether through criticism or unrealistic praise, can inadvertently instill poor body image from a very early age.
Additionally, familial patterns of behavior, such as dieting or weight concerns, may also play a significant role. Children often mirror their parents' attitudes toward food, exercise, and self-image, reinforcing unhealthy perceptions of body shape and size.
Past Trauma
For some, a negative relationship with body image stems from past trauma or negative life experiences. Bullying, sexual abuse, or an unhealthy relationship with food can leave deep emotional scars that manifest in self-consciousness about one's appearance. These traumatic events may trigger feelings of shame or unworthiness, leading to a distorted self-image.
Health and Fitness Pressures
While physical health is important for overall well-being, the growing emphasis on achieving a "perfect" body can lead to obsessive exercise or eating behaviors and a poor relationship with one’s body. People may feel immense pressure to fit into a certain mold of fitness and health, often fueled by the wellness industry or fat phobia in our culture.
This pressure can manifest in unhealthy dieting, overexercising, or extreme measures to lose weight. These behaviors not only affect physical health but also contribute to a deteriorating sense of self-worth and body image.
Moving Towards Positive Body Image
Understanding the causes of poor body image is the first step in creating healthier relationships with ourselves. While many of these influences are external, it’s important to work toward developing self-compassion and mindfulness about the way we perceive our bodies.
At The Current, we understand how challenging it can be to cope with a negative relationship with our bodies, and we’re here to help. Our mental health professionals offer compassionate support to help you navigate these complex feelings and build a more positive, empowered relationship with your body. If you're struggling with body image issues, reach out to us today—together, we can work toward healing and self-acceptance. Below are some of the strategies we use to help you change your relationship with your body.
Body Neutrality
Our therapist can help you develop body neutrality, which is a philosophy that encourages people to discover a middle ground between body hate and body love, as an alternative to the “body positivity” movement. The distance between loving your body and hating your body can be vast. Body neutrality offers a more realistic relationship with our body. It focuses on body acceptance.
2. Reducing Body Checking
Reducing body checking behaviors—such as frequent mirror gazing, comparing body parts, measuring, pinching or constant weighing – is an important step to improving body image. Our therapists can help you identify your subconscious body checking behaviors and uncover the underlying thoughts and emotions driving these actions. Often these behaviors leave you feeling worse rather than reassured, keeping you in a negative loop with your body.
3. Body Gratitude
Our therapists also use body gratitude as a powerful tool to improve body image by helping clients shift focus from appearance to appreciation. Through guided reflection and therapeutic exercises, clients learn to acknowledge and value what their bodies do for them—such as breathing, movement, and connection—rather than how they look. This intentional practice of gratitude fosters a more compassionate and accepting mindset, reduces self-criticism, and supports a more positive relationship with the body.
4. Decrease Comparisons
Constantly comparing your body to others can be incredibly damaging to your self-esteem. Social media, in particular, fosters a culture of comparison, where people often present curated, polished versions of their lives. This can create feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction. Our therapists can help you set boundaries with social media or with other negative influences in your life and align you with your values around appearance. Being around individuals or consuming content from those who are supportive, positive, and embrace body diversity can help you feel better about yourself.
5. Manage anxiety or depression
Managing anxiety or depression is a crucial step in improving body image, and our therapists can provide the tools and support needed to do so. When individuals struggle with these mental health conditions, negative thoughts about their bodies often intensify, distorting self-perception and fueling shame or self-criticism. Through personalized therapy, clients learn strategies to regulate emotions and gain insight into the connection between their symptoms and body image. As symptoms of anxiety or depression decrease, body image often improves—making space for self-acceptance.
6. Trauma work
Coping with trauma is a vital part of healing body image, and our trauma informed therapists can help guide this transformative process. Traumatic experiences—especially those involving the body, such as abuse, bullying, or medical trauma—can leave lasting negative impressions that shape how individuals view and treat themselves. Our trauma therapists can help clients learn to process these experiences safely, rebuild trust in their bodies and release shame rooted in the past. As healing progresses, many clients find a renewed sense of connection, respect, and compassion toward their bodies, leading to a healthier and more empowered body image.
Enjoy Summer Focusing on the Fun, Not Your Body
This spring and summer, let go of the pressure to conform to unrealistic body standards and embrace the joy of the season. Remember that true confidence comes from accepting and appreciating your body as it is, and enjoying the experiences that make this time of year so special.
Improving your body image is a powerful journey that can enhance your overall well-being and mental health. By taking proactive steps to challenge unrealistic beauty standards, practice self-compassion, and seek professional support, you can cultivate a more positive relationship with your body. At The Current, we are here to help you navigate this process with compassion and guidance.
If you're ready to take the first step toward improving your body image, reach out to us today. Our team of mental health professionals are here to support you in creating a healthier, more confident mindset.
If you are still curious about starting to work on your body image but not quite sure about starting therapy for it, we’ve developed a brief 9 page workbook to help you keep exploring. The Body Image & Reflection workbook was designed to offer a compassionate starting point to improving your relationship with your body. These reflection questions are a great way to get ready for therapy that can guide you to a more positive body image, or just some practical tools to support your growth. Head over to our Resources page to check it out!
Contact The Current today to learn more about our services or to schedule a consultation with one of our mental health professionals. Let’s work together to cultivate a healthier body image this season!