When Do You Feel Best In Your Body?

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Back in July, I interviewed the incredible Amy Pershing, LMSW, director of the Pershing Turner Centers in Annapolis, and clinical director for the Center for Eating Disorders in Ann Arbor.

When I asked her about powerful ways to boost our body image, she said something that especially caught my attention:

One thing I like to do is think about the times you were really enjoying being “in” your body, with no judgment about how it looked. Might be dancing, running, curling up on the couch, anything. Do that, and see the difference between being “in” and looking “at.” Try to shift to more being “in” your body. Find time in some small way (or a big way!) as often as you can.

One of the toughest parts of a negative body image for me was that I constantly felt very uncomfortable in my skin. It was as though I couldfeel my flaws. I could feel my bulging belly. I could feel my expanding hips and thighs.

It was a profound discomfort and tension, and it fueled my poor body image even more.
Maybe you can relate. Maybe as soon as you wake up you feel an instant discomfort. An instant tension surge through your body. Or maybe you feel this discomfort at certain moments, such as when you’re anxious or angry.

It’s important to pinpoint the times you feel great and not-so great (i.e., lousy, really lousy) in your body. Because you can start to pick up on patterns, and figure out what triggers both positive and negative feelings.

If I think back to the times my body image was especially dark and gloomy, I realize that I didn’t give myself many opportunities to feel good. I didn’t do much to alleviate my anxiety. I only viewed physical activities as a way to lose weight (resented that and thereby did very little). I let emotions rule my eating habits (which meant that I was left feeling bloated, guilty and even more anxious on many occasions). And I constantly criticized myself. Just to name a few things…

Now, thankfully, it’s different. And I absolutely love the idea of focusing on when we feel best in our bodies. These times are especially telling because we can make sure to recreate them more often.

(And we can try to diminish the tension-inducing moments and better cope with the situations that trigger negative feelings.)

So for me, I enjoy being in my body:

• When I’m practicing Pilates
• When I’m walking
• During and after taking a shower
• When I’m riding my bike and I can feel the breeze on my skin
• As I’m getting or giving a hug
• When I’m wearing something both comfortable and pretty
• When I’m relaxed and at ease, which I work on with these activities 
• After applying lotion to my face
• After a good night’s sleep
• After trimming my nails and putting on polish

It helps to get as specific as you can. Feel free to make a list like I did so you can easily pick up on positive (and negative) patterns. Sure, some of these may seem small but they’re really major. Because many little pick-me-ups can add up to a positive body image.

If you haven’t found the activities that help you enjoy being in your body yet, that’s OK. Experiment this weekend. Try a variety of physical and pampering activities and see what rings true for you.



Margarita Tartakovsky, Ms
PsychCentral.com