Does this feel familiar?
You’ve changed outfits three times and you’re now late, again.
Someone suggests a group photo and you quietly move to the back.
You turned down a swim with friends and told them you had a cold.
A comment about your body from years ago still plays in your head when you get dressed.
What might be going on
Body image is shaped by many things, from comments you heard growing up and the people around you, to social media, culture, illness, pregnancy, ageing and how you feel about yourself in general.
When it’s difficult, thoughts about your body can start to colour everything, from what you wear and where you go to how you eat and how present you feel with the people you love.
Support focuses on how you relate to your body, rather than changing it. Many people work towards feeling more neutral and at home in their body, which tends to be more steady and lasting than trying to love every part of it.
One small thing. Just for today.
Mute or unfollow three accounts that leave you feeling worse about your body. Notice how your feed feels in a week.
Let’s untangle a few assumptions
Support can look different
A little perspective
In a 2019 survey for the Mental Health Foundation, one in five UK adults said they had felt shame about their body image in the past year, and over a third said it had made them feel down or low.
Questions you might be asking
When to get medical help
If thoughts about food, eating, weight or shape are taking over your day, or you’re restricting, bingeing, purging or exercising to compensate, please speak to your GP. Beat, the UK eating disorder charity, has a free helpline on 0808 801 0677. If you’re worried about your immediate safety, call 999 or NHS 111 and choose option 2.
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