A recent NPR News article by Malaka Gharib and colleagues highlights how societal pressures, including Instagram face, bodymaxxing, and other trends, can shape people’s perceptions of their bodies.
The NPR reporters spoke with psychologist Diana Hill, a specialist in acceptance and commitment therapy. Hill explains the concept of “body image flexibility,” which focuses on learning to cope with negative thoughts about one’s appearance rather than trying to love or feel neutral about one’s body.
How much energy and time are you putting into obsessing about [your looks] in the mirror versus engaging in your life and the things you care about?
– Diana Hill, Psychologist (source: NPR News)
Hill told NPR that she recommends to her patients the following exercises to stay present and deal with pressures to alter appearance:
- Focus your attention inward: Practice flexible attention to combat negative body image thoughts. Shift focus from external appearance to internal sensations and feelings. “It’s what we call ‘interoceptive awareness,’” Hill says. “It’s associated with benefits like better ability to pay attention to hunger and fullness, and better empathy and interpersonal awareness.”
- Appreciate what your body can do: Focus on your body’s functionality by asking how you are using it. Focus outward by appreciating your body’s functionality. Acknowledge your physical abilities and how they connect you to the world.
- Interrogate your intentions: Notice and question habitual behaviors, like sucking in your stomach, if you’re uncomfortable with a body part. Then, ask yourself some questions, like:
- Are there times when you’re sucking your stomach in more — or less? “There may be times when you let it go a little bit because you feel safer. Maybe you’re alone on a hike or in bed,” Hill says.
- Is how you feel about your stomach based on a message you’ve received from culture and society? “Is that messaging [what] you want to believe and let guide your life?” Hill says.
- How do your feelings about your stomach affect your daily life? “Are you less comfortable in your clothes? Are you distracted? Are you not standing up and speaking in front of a group?” Hill says.
- Do an energy audit: Evaluate how much time and energy you dedicate to your body image. Consider swapping some of that time for activities that bring you joy and fulfillment.
Hill told NPR, “Every little bit of energy you’re putting into sucking in your stomach or [feeling] distracted by your shiny face pulls away energy from you — your creative force, your ability to connect and your talents. “And what people want is you.“
Acknowledgement: This summary was generated using AI writing tools as part of my AI exploration process. For more information, check out the original article listed below.