Is Change Possible? A Look at Thoughts and Feelings

My friend asked me a while back— “Johanna, do you really think it’s possible to change the way we feel about our bodies? Is that really what we’re capable of? Or are we just changing how we think about our bodies?”

It’s an interesting distinction, one that’s stuck with me ever since the conversation.

Because it really is different to change how you feel about your body. That would mean that,  instead of looking in the mirror and thinking “ugh” and feeling “blah,” you were able to look in the mirror and view yourself with compassion and appreciation.

But changing feelings is no small feat! Oftentimes these longstanding feelings of self-hatred are rooted deeply in memories and experiences that are hard to let go of.

My answer to my friend above was: “yes” to both. In order to change how we feel about our bodies, we have to start with changing how we think about our bodies. Changing how we think fuels the change in how we feel- and, yes, I believe both are possible.

To fuel a change in our thoughts and in turn, a change in our feelings, we need to utilize a language of compassion. Here are my 3 favorite compassionate mantras to utilize for those hard body image days:

• My body is allowed to take up space.

• My body deserves to be taken care of.

• My body is allowed to exist just as it is.

I’m not big on New Year’s Resolutions, which are oftentimes centered on changing oneself through diets and workouts. The underlying connotation is that we are trying to do something to “better” ourselves with these resolutions. I’d rather work on accepting myself.

So how about instead of a resolution, we set an intention to use more compassionate language with our bodies and ourselves? Now this is a goal for the new year I can get behind.