Thoughts on “Love Your Body” July 2019

(July 2019)

Hi my people! I hope that Tuesday is treating you well lately I’ve been struggling with ED thoughts/body image a lot and in all honesty, I am so tired of it. But I often feel like there’s nothing else that I can do to get rid of this.

I always hear people talking about how important it is to love your body. This phrase has always been confusing for me, because no matter how hard I try to, it is really difficult for me to love my body. So, I am instead choosing to try to SHOW love to my body, instead of trying to love my body.  I think there’s a big difference between the two. I am still recovering and healing from an eating disorder, and at this point, truly and honestly loving my body seems to be too far out of reach.

But, I CAN show love to my body. I don’t have to love the way my body looks or feels in order to show love to it. My body keeps me healthy and strong, it allows me to run, it allows me to share my ideas and build relationships, it allows me to give hugs and create art. It allows me to go on walks with my family, create new recipes, pet my dog, and experience my life.  Because of all of these things and so many more, I know that I owe it to my body to SHOW it love, even if I don’t always want to.

Here are four things that I’m going to try to do: (And I say try, because I am definitely going to struggle with some of these things, but I’ll be doing my best). I challenge you all to join me in doing these four things because EVERY single body deserves to be shown love.

-I will show love to my body by fighting the negative thoughts and judgements that flood my brain when I look in the mirror.

-I will try to shift my thinking to remind myself of all of the wonderful things that my body does for me, instead of spending my mental energy tearing it apart.

-I will stop comparing it to others, because I’m learning that that’s honestly just not realistic or fair or productive.

-I will give it what it needs: sleep, fuel, rest, exercise, water, etc. 

Will you join me?

XOXO,

Julia