What’s become clear over the years in my private nutritional practice helping women (and men) cease emotional eating, binging and overeating is that SO MANY people struggle with body image. Most of the time, regardless of their size.
After interviewing 200 women, Brene Brown found that negative body image was almost 'universal' with 90% of women saying they feel body shame.
Brene Brown concludes that 'The long reach of body shame can impact who and how we love, work, parent, communicate and build relationships.'
Practising positive body image affirmations can be a powerful tool. You can learn how to create a positive relationship with your body, take charge of your health and become a more positive person. It might even help you make more positive food choices along the way.
And that’s exactly why I’m sharing 55 positive body affirmations you can use today.
Body Image: Statistics and Influences
Body image continues to be one of the top concerns for women, although men also struggle!
A survey of 300 women by Glamour Magazine found that, on average, women have 13 negative body thoughts daily—nearly one for every waking hour. And a whopping 97% of women admit to having at least one "I hate my body" moment each day. That’s alarming.
But it’s not just women, who struggle with body image concerns and dissatisfaction.
In fact, the Australian Psychological Society estimates that body image dissatisfaction in men has tripped from 15% to 45% in the past 25 years!
With the social conditioning, media messages and internalised beliefs that are not necessarily based in fact, it’s no wonder so many of us struggle with an unhealthy relationship with our bodies.
Take one look at your Instagram feed and assess if your unconscious mind is being constantly influenced. Perhaps it's images of perfect bodies, 'what I eat in a day' influencer plates, unrealistic body standards and impossible exercise goals.
No doubt that positive body image affirmations can be a useful tool to improve body positivity short term. Interestingly, daily affirmations can also help rewire the brain long-term for more positive thinking in daily life.
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What are Positive Body Affirmations and How They Work
Positive affirmations, particularly body positive affirmations, are powerful mantras repeated individually, aimed at encouraging a positive self-image and self-esteem.
These are not just simple made-up phrases, but they have a solid scientific base.
Research suggests that consistently saying positive affirmations can rewire our brains to believe these positive statements, making us more likely to act in ways that align with them.
This is due to a psychological phenomenon known as 'self-affirmation theory'. Affirming your values can create a positive psychological response, thus reducing negative thinking and enhancing self-image and self-esteem.
What this means is that by repeating body positive affirmations, you are creating new neural pathways in your brain. That way daily affirmations lead you to develop a more positive mindset and act in alignment with that.
Isn't it wonderful, that by putting a little bit of effort to start with, the mind adjusts to the new, more positive way of thinking about the body?
Equally, this confirms how daily saying and thinking negative thoughts lead us to believe it and adjust actions accordingly (not to mention feeling crappy along the way!).
Benefits of Practicing Body Image Affirmations
Making peace with your body and accepting can be tricky, especially if you have been batting with your body for years or the majority of your life.
The truth is if you don’t have a positive relationship with your body, even changing your body and feeling healthier may not help you to feel good about your body image.
However, practising body image affirmations can help break negative thought patterns and replace them with positive ones. That way you begin to see yourself in a more balanced light.
Research has also found that affirming statements about one's physical appearance can lead to increased self-esteem and higher body satisfaction. This in turn can lead to improved mental health and greater self-acceptance.
Creating a positive relationship with your body is also beneficial for physical health. Studies have found that people with a positive body image tend to be more likely to engage in regular physical activity, which has been linked to better overall health.
In short, repeating positive body affirmations can help foster healthier body image perceptions and attitudes, leading to overall improved mental AND physical well-being.
Sounds like body positive affirmations are worth a try, right?
How to Practice Body-Positive Affirmations
If you are becoming curious about how regularly practising body positive affirmations could be useful, it’s important to know how and when to use them. Here are some tips for making the most out of these powerful statements:
- Say the affirmation out loud — this enhances the efficacy of using the mantras and helps them sink in deeper. Take a deep breath and make it a conscious choice to say them out loud when possible.
- Place self-love affirmations on sticky notes or cards around your home or workspace as a constant reminder and source of encouragement.
- Keep a journal —Take the time to write down your body positive affirmations in a journal or notebook. This way it can become a positive habit easier.
- Listen to affirmations — there are lots of audio recordings online that you can listen to while driving, at work, etc.
- Choose affirmations that resonate with you — don’t force yourself into using words that don’t feel authentic to you or create discord. "I fully love and accept myself" may not work when you're a really long way away from that. Choose mantras that resonate with your personal values.
- Don’t give up — it takes time for positive body affirmations to take effect, so be consistent and patient with yourself. Choose to practice affirmations on a daily basis to embrace a growth mindset.
Here are some of my favourite body image affirmations for you to explore, get inspired with and start using regularly. You can also come up with your own positive body affirmations that feel more aligned to you:
11 Body Positive Affirmations to Cultivate Body Respect
- I appreciate my body and its gifts.
- My body has given me so many incredible experiences.
- I am learning to love and accept my body fully.
- I respect my body regardless of societal norms.
- My body allows me to do the things I love.
- I honour my body and the life it has given me.
- I accept and respect my body as it is.
- I appreciate my body for its strength and resilience.
- My body is AMAZING.
- I am grateful for my body and what it allows me to do.
- Today I choose to be grateful for my body.
11 Body Image Affirmations To Stop Comparing Your Body
- Comparison is a thief of joy.
- My body is a reflection of my uniqueness.
- I am worthy of love and respect from myself and others, regardless of my looks.
- I don’t need to strive for perfection.
- I choose to focus on the positive qualities of my body.
- My body is a vehicle, not an ornament.
- I am not in competition with anyone.
- I reject societal standards of beauty that do not embrace diversity.
- My body is not a measure of my worth.
- I refuse to let society dictate how I should look.
- I can be kind to myself even when I don’t ‘measure up’ to other people’s standards.
11 Positive Body Affirmations To Boost Your Self-Esteem
- I am strong and capable of achieving whatever I focus on.
- My worth is not determined by what others think of me or my body.
- I am more than just a body.
- My worth is not defined by how much I weigh.
- I am learning to love and accept myself fully.
- My body is the least interesting thing about me.
- I am enough.
- My worth is not defined by what my body looks like.
- I am worthy of unconditional love, just as I am.
- Every day, I become more accepting of myself and my body.
- My worth is not defined by my physical appearance.
11 Positive Body Affirmations to Reconnect to Your Body
- I can trust my healthy body to be strong and capable.
- I celebrate the beauty of my body in all its shapes and forms.
- I am learning so much from my body every day.
- I trust my body and its innate wisdom.
- I am learning to fully listen and trust my body and to make healthy choices.
- I am allowing my body to rest when it's tired.
- I am grateful for the way my body moves and functions.
- I am learning to be kind and gentle with my body.
- I embrace all the ways that my body serves me today.
- I am relearning how to be kind to my body.
- I am learning to move through life accepting my body.
11 Positive Body Image Affirmations for Body Acceptance
- I celebrate my body in all its glory.
- My imperfections are what make me unique.
- My physical body and appearance do not define who I am as a person.
- I am beautiful just as I am.
- I choose to be confident and happy in my body.
- I appreciate myself, my physical body and its beauty.
- I celebrate what my body can do, not how it looks.
- I will no longer allow other people's opinions to control how I feel about my body.
- I accept and embrace all parts of myself fully.
- Every day, I am growing more comfortable in my own skin.
- I am learning to fully accept my body.
Final Thoughts on Positive Body Affirmations
Positive body image affirmations are powerful in helping you break away from negative self-talk and beliefs about your body. With a little bit of regular practice, positive body affirmations can start to feel second nature and can help you create a healthier relationship with your body for good.
With each reminder of how amazing your body is and how much it's capable of, you will become more aware of your inner strength too, both physical and mental. You may also feel more empowered and confident, regardless of your body shape or size.
Become your personal cheerleader and make sure you are making your body acceptance journey into a positive one!
