Body Image, Pictures, and Social Media
Imagine you’re out with friends (okay, pre-COVID), and your friend has someone walking by taking a picture of you all – you pose, smile… and then what? Do you look at the picture to enjoy the moment with your friends? Or, do you look at the picture to check yourself and see if it needs to be deleted and retaken? Do you purposefully skip looking at the picture altogether because it’s uncomfortable to see yourself? How do you feel when you see that your friend posted the picture on social media later that night? Do you wish they had cropped, edited, or filtered that photo before posting it?
How we act about our picture being taken and shared with others can show a lot about what body image insecurities are lurking under the surface. Girls learn from a young age to hold in or hide their stomachs to look thinner in pictures, turn their head a certain way and play off angles. Chances are, you want to appear beautiful by society’s standards and perhaps social, relaxed, and happy. There’s an expectation that friends don’t post or share unflattering photos of one another on Instagram and that they get your consent before posting a picture you’re in.
Social Media can increase body image insecurities, especially if you are constantly bombarded with what feels like perfect photos of people who are flawless and happy. The reality that the “perfect” photo may have come after dozens of takes, edits, filters, etc., doesn’t seem to matter as your scrolling through. You’re not considering whether that happy person is really happy or possibly battling their own set of insecurities.
Top Tips for Negative Body Image Thoughts
Be Present Within Your Body
The truth is, we are living our lives within our bodies, not viewing them from the outside, so seeing yourself in a picture can feel uncomfortable. Suddenly you are in the place of the outsider, looking in at you, only you already are keyed into your perceived flaws and overly aware of whatever it is you are insecure about. As you see a photo of yourself, what do you notice first? What you notice is likely associated with your perceived flaws. What do you miss in this process? Perhaps you overlook the genuineness of your smile or the glimmer of joy in your eyes from a night of fun with people you truly care about.
Next time you feel embarrassed, uncomfortable, or ashamed as you look at a picture of yourself, try this – take a few deep breaths and move your attention back to being inside your body. Remember what that moment felt like or something you enjoyed about it. View the moment from within yourself instead of criticizing yourself from the outside. What can you appreciate about how that moment felt for you?
When you are living your life and negative thoughts about your body come up, using mindfulness to ground yourself in the present moment, being fully present in your body. Use your senses to notice what you see, hear, smell, etc. When we are present within ourselves, we are no longer judging ourselves as this super negative outsider.
See Your Body Differently
Your body is only a piece of you. It’s special because it houses your soul, your spirit, your heart – everything about you. It’s a shell that life lives through. When you shift what your body is to you from something to obsess over, criticize, or feel ashamed of to something to appreciate, you change how you operate in your daily life. Every body is different, and every body comes with challenges – some more significant ones than others. For instance, some people exist in bodies that have serious health challenges.
Practice appreciating what your body allows you to do. Does your body allow you to hug the people you love most in this world? Awesome. Does your body allow you to do something you enjoy, like dancing or drawing or baking? Incredible. Does your body take you from place to place? Remarkable. Gratitude is one of the simplest ways we can shift to a more positive perspective.
Practice Body Kindness
Treating your body kindly cultivates so much body positivity! Are you exhausted and overworked? Practice body kindness by taking a relaxing bath with lavender bath salt and go to bed 20 minutes early. Low energy? Eat a balanced snack with carbs and protein, enjoying it mindfully. Feeling creative? Paint your nails with bright colors or get that tattoo you’ve been dreaming about. Enjoy yourself! If you love makeup, play with new ideas and enjoy how it feels! AND, if you hate makeup… don’t wear it!
Ultimately, we all have this one body to go through life with. It will change. It’s supposed to. The matters how you feel about yourself! Therapy helps with resolving underlying negative thoughts about yourself. Need help with body image and how you see yourself? Check out my therapy services and contact me for a free phone consultation.
