I posted recently that I was having a bit of a wobble about my body (pun intended -there is plenty of wobbling). Usually I'm fine with it - I've been through a lot of self image crap and I'm not keen to go back there. I'm happy living life in the body I have, and I'm grateful for it - for the most part.
But body confidence is not a perpetual state of self-loving bliss that we achieve. It's an ongoing journey, with all the usual hills and valleys and potholes. And it's not just about how we look. It's about how we feel, how we experience life in and through our bodies, and how that translates into the way we are with other people.
Right now I'm fatter, I'm less fit, I'm sluggish, and yeah, truthfully, I don't like it. But what I need to remember is what's actually true about my body, not the lies and harmful self-loathing it's so easy to fall back into. The facts and what we actually believe about our bodies can be miles away from one another - and that can do us a lot of harm.
So here are 10 truths about our bodies: a 10-step positive reminder. I've written it in the first person so you can use it for yourself if you like.
1. My body is first and foremost there to keep me alive - aesthetics are not a factor in this.
2. A body that isn't at its fittest or most capable is still a good body.
3. How my body looks, feels or performs does not determine my value as a person.
4. Whether other people like my body or not is not important.
5. My body is not a currency to be spent, or a commodity to be set a value.
6. My body is not my enemy.
7. My body is my friend and I will treat it like one. Friends are loved, cared for and nurtured. They are not punished, abused or treated as a source of shame.
8. My body will change whether I like it or not. I will get older. Things will be different. This is natural and not a bad thing.
9. I can't control everything, or even many things, about my body. So where there are things I can have control over, the friend rule still applies: whatever is loving, caring and nurturing.
10. My body allows me to experience life, and to enjoy it.
Do you have your own body truths that help you when you're feeling challenged? Please share them below!
Here are some of my other posts on body image: