how to

When it comes to body image, for a long time it seemed like there were only two sides to choose: either loathing your body and wanting to improve it, or loving it wholly and as it is.

The latter describes the recent Body Positivity movement. This was the first time that mainstream culture allowed fuller body types, or those who don’t live up to Eurocentric beauty standards, to think of themselves as beautiful and accepted by society. The proof is in the pudding: many young adults feel that this shift has been the most liberating of their lives.

But now a new, third school of thought has been introduced. Body Neutrality (BN) is, in essence, about acceptance – not holding strong opinions (whether positive or negative) about your body, and actually taking the focus off your body (such as in conversations or photos). BM says that as long as you don’t hate your body, it’s totally okay if you don’t love every inch of it every day. In fact, it states that “you are more than just the skin you come in”. Ergo, if you feel bad about the way you look, it still shouldn’t affect how you feel about who you are.

So, how can you achieve this? Here are three steps to start with.

You are (not) what you wear

One of the ways in which the ethos of BN is freeing is in the way it gives you permission to take a more utilitarian or practical view of your body. A good place to start is by holding clothing to the ideal of comfort rather than aesthetic value. This may be a tough one to get used to, but the relief you’ll feel when you start dressing for functionality will be worth it.

Change the way you think

When it comes to the way many of us think about our bodies, there are cycles of loathing and shame that are much too prevalent. If you’re looking to explore the BN approach, a great place to start is to try and identify these thought patterns and cut them off before you can engage with them. This could be doing something to distract yourself, or playing your favourite tunes as soon as you start to feel the shame spiral coming.

MODERATE YOUR SOCIALS

As we all know, social media can have quite an impact on one’s perception of the world. While this is usually thought of in a negative light, why not try using it to programme yourself for the positive? In this case, it means following Body Neutrality accounts, unfollowing accounts you find triggering, and learning more about the BN movement in general.