What is Body Neutrality?
Some days, you may wake up, look in the mirror, and wish you saw something different.
It’s normal for your body image to vary, and to feel more confident on some days than others.
But if your body image has begun harming your mood, it may be time to explore the idea of body neutrality.
Here at KMA Therapy, we know how hard it can be to maintain a healthy relationship with your body in a society that is obsessed with how our bodies look.
For over 14 years, we’ve guided our clients to tools and ideas that help them challenge the ideas we’re confronted with daily, and live more meaningful lives.
After reading this article, you’ll know what body neutrality is, whether it’s better than body positivity, and three ways to practice it.
What is Body Neutrality?
Body neutrality is a way of looking at your body based on what it can do rather than how it looks.
The body neutrality movement is focused on accepting your body as it is while understanding that it’s okay to not love your body every second of every day.
It removes the need to be perfect – whether you’re trying to perfectly love your appearance one hundred percent of the time or create a perfect appearance.
Although it’s not focused on appearances, achieving body neutrality is often associated with growing a more positive body image.
Why is a Positive Body Image important?
A positive body image greatly impacts our mental health, making it important to grow a healthy relationship with your body.
Benefits of Positive Body Image include:
- More confidence while socializing
- Lower risk of anxiety & depression
- Higher feelings of self-worth and self-acceptance
A positive body image even has financial benefits – a healthy body image can often help you avoid spending money on products and services designed to change your appearance.
Is Body Neutrality Better Than Body Positivity?
Body neutrality is not inherently better (or worse) than body positivity – it all depends on what mindset works better for you.
Where body neutrality focuses on removing the importance of your body’s appearance, body positivity involves loving how your body looks no matter what.
Body positivity can help people feel more confident about the way they look, and eventually learn to genuinely love their appearance more. However, it still heavily emphasizes appearances, and many people prefer to grow a relationship with their body based on what it can do.
3 Ways to Start Practising Body Neutrality
Body neutrality is a great way to explore a new relationship with your body that has nothing to do with how it looks.
1. Emphasize What Your Body Can Do
We often spend a lot of time thinking about how our bodies look – worrying about how our hair looks after our morning commute or stressing out about how it looks in the new pants we just bought.
But your body is constantly helping you get from place to place, creating energy to help you through the day, and working hard to keep you alive.
Practise body neutrality by focusing on what your body is doing, and the experiences it helps you engage in.
Try naming one great thing that happened today (like going to a great concert or having a fun lunch with a friend) and realizing that you wouldn’t have been able to experience it without your body.
2. Listen to Your Body
Listening to your body means tuning into how you’re feeling, and being careful not to push yourself beyond your limits.
At a restaurant, this might look like choosing a meal that looks satisfying to you instead of focusing on picking the “healthiest” option.
At the gym, this might look like opting for a walk on the treadmill instead of forcing yourself to lift heavy weights when your body is feeling extra tired.
3. Don’t Let Yourself Spiral About Body Image
Nobody is perfect, and it’s normal to have days when you just don’t feel that great about your body.
But the next time you’re having a bad hair day or feeling extra self-conscious about how look, accept the thought and let it go.
Try this simple phrase: “It’s okay that I’m not feeling great about my body today, but it helps me do the things I love. I accept myself the way I am.”
Next Steps for a Healthy Relationship With Your Body
After reading this article, you know what body neutrality is and three new ways to practice it.
Here at KMA Therapy, we know how good it can feel to have some extra support when building a positive body image. Our caring therapy team has been helping our clients foster their self-esteem and confidence for over 14 years.
Visit our Self-Esteem Therapy page to learn more.
Book an appointment today, or connect with our team if you have any questions.
If you’re not yet ready to book an appointment, check out these articles to keep learning:
