Does a negative body image dominate your thoughts?
Is your self-esteem suffering as a result?
Having a negative body image makes you vulnerable to mood disorders and eating disorders.
Disliking your body could even make relationships more difficult or motivate you to hurt yourself.
These destructive mental habits plague many people, but you can turn them around with body-positive affirmations.
Repeating supportive statements about your body every day will help you escape the unhappiness of body negativity.
The Best Ways to Use Body Image Affirmations
Affirmations for body image are short, spoken statements to align your thoughts with the physical and mental changes you want to achieve. With body positivity, you focus on beliefs about the wonder of your body rather than the flaws.
The best practices for the effective use of body image affirmations include the following:
- Speak or write them in a journal as soon as you wake up.
- Take a deep breath before and after each statement.
- Touch your body as you speak to reinforce the sentiment physically.
- Speak in a clear and confident tone of voice.
- Repeat your affirmations for about five minutes.
- Set aside one or two more times a day for speaking your affirmations.
- Be sure to repeat your affirmations before going to bed.
- Stick to your routine as much as possible.
Most people prefer a private spot for reciting affirmations, such as the bedroom or bathroom. Looking in a mirror while you say them can help the message penetrate more deeply into your subconscious.
When away from home, you may find your car is a good spot for saying your affirmations.
Keep in mind that you can lean on your positive body affirmations when you feel negative thoughts creeping in.
If something triggers inadequate feelings about your body, find a quiet space and speak your affirmations as soon as possible.
Do Body Affirmations Work?
Affirmations of all kinds are potent tools that help people overcome negative thoughts and doubts.
They are not necessarily an easy cure-all for your personal challenges, but you can succeed when you employ the correct strategies and approach affirmations as a tool to support action.
Psychologist Lauren Alexander, Ph.D., at the Cleveland Clinic, advises people to recognize that their lives inevitably include difficulties.
For affirmations to help, you can’t completely deny a problem, and positive thoughts can’t be disconnected from reality. An affirmation can recognize your discomfort or concern AND help you feel okay with yourself.
They can be most effective when you acknowledge what is bothering you and then choose to release yourself from the negativity.
Here are some steps for getting the most from your body positive affirmations:
- Identify the specific bodily features that sabotage your self-esteem.
- Address those features directly within your affirmations.
- Set aside your skepticism about the process.
- Write down your affirmations and leave them where you can see them.
- Use your phone’s calendar to remind you to speak your affirmations.
- Take positive action related to your affirmations.
Following up your affirmations with actions is critical for success. In terms of body positivity, a positive action might be wearing an outfit that you previously would not have worn or applying for a job that you never had the confidence to ask for before.
59 Positive Body Image Affirmations
This list of affirmations, or body-positive mantras, offers a great starting point. Select those that resonate with you, and feel free to alter them to meet your needs.
1. My body has many great qualities.
2. A whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Every part of my body contributes to the whole me.
3. I am kind to my body because it keeps me alive.
4. I accept that areas of my body bother me, but I decide to be content anyway.
5. I can enjoy life more if I recognize that people are not judging me as harshly as I think they are.
6. I take care of my body by eating wholesome food. I feel how good nutrition helps me be healthy.
8. Pictures on social media are staged. The perfection I compare myself to is an illusion.
9. I take care of myself today because my health is the most incredible wealth there is.
10. I choose to recover from mistakes and move forward with greater wisdom.
11. I am on a journey with my body, and I want to enjoy the trip.
12. I value myself and give myself permission to pursue my dreams.
13. I judge myself by my actions and not how I look.
14. I breathe deeply and feel the oxygen bring life into my body. This breath alone is enough to amaze me.
15. I honor my needs and give them the same weight as other people’s needs.
16. I am in control. I choose to exercise and limit junk foods because I love my body and my health.
17. I hug myself and tell myself that I am worthy of friendship and affection.
18. My weight does not dictate my happiness.
19. Food is not an enemy. I need it to nourish every cell of my body and stay alive.
20. Every day is precious. I let go of the past and welcome today.
21. Aging is a natural part of being alive and better than the alternative.
22. I am my own cheerleader. No one else is responsible for making me feel happy.
24. I appreciate how my thighs are strong and move my legs.
25. I comfort myself when I fail because tomorrow is another chance to succeed.
26. I choose to live with my insecurities because everyone has them.
27. I accept compliments graciously. I welcome these acts of kindness instead of thinking I have to be self-deprecating.
28. I believe that I am lovable and that some people think I look good.
29. I respect myself and expect others to treat me with dignity.
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30. My intuition comes from inside my body. I will listen to my body’s wisdom and act on it.
31. I admire how my body is alive after experiencing so many challenges.
32. I let my beautiful inner spirit show through to the outside world.
33. I understand that my body has limitations, but I still embrace what I am able to do.
34. I am a complete person with thoughts and feelings that matter.
35. Not everyone has to like me. I seek approval only from those who matter to me.
36. I invest in my well-being. Spending too much time worrying about how I look diminishes my enjoyment of life.
38. No one has a perfect body. I aspire to have a “good enough” body that takes me through life.
39. I do not look perfect. Life is not perfect. I make the best of things anyway.
40. I know that I have health problems, but I forgive my body.
41. Even if I can’t look the way I want, I CAN be interesting.
42. I treat my body with respect because this is the only body I have.
43. I give myself permission not to care what someone else thinks about me.
44. By loving myself first, I invite others to love me.
45. I appreciate what I have. Even if I looked perfect, it would not last.
46. I am mindful of my food choices.
47. I give my energy to things that will improve my day.
48. I encourage the healing power within my body to come to the surface.
49. No matter my condition, I respect my body and expect others to respect my body as well.
50. My unconditional love for myself motivates me to treat myself right.
51. Self-esteem is a priority. I will not let my body hold me back from feeling good about myself.
52. My body is always here for me.
54. My body is safe for me.
55. My body is a source of pleasure.
56. I let go of the times in my past when people hurt my feelings with cruel remarks.
57. I forgive myself for the years I spent criticizing myself.
58. I can learn to do new things with my body.
59. I am open to loving my body.
You may find it difficult to give voice to body-positive affirmations at first.
Trying to override your negative thoughts can be emotionally intense, but your feelings should include a great sense of liberation. What will you do today to improve your positive body image?