Ever feel like your body image changes a lot from morning to night? A lot of people experience that. Some days you wake up and you’re on top of the world, only to feel less than stellar once 5 pm rolls around. On other days, you may wake up feeling a little “blah,” but after time spent with friends and a little walk, you’re feeling ready to tackle whatever comes your way.
Just as our moods can experience lots of fluctuations throughout the day, so too can body image. How you feel about your body isn’t static. It changes according to both internal and external influences. Understanding that changes in body image throughout the day are natural is important for maintaining your own sense of inner peace. Learning why this happens and how to process it can be a game-changer, whether you’re dealing with an eating disorder or just want to feel better in your body.
Self-Esteem and Body Image
How we perceive our bodies has a lot to do with self-esteem. The two are closely intertwined, but while there’s often a correlation between having a positive body image and high self-esteem, the truth is that they’re not mutually exclusive. You can think very highly of yourself (and you should!) but still struggle with body image. On the contrary, low self-esteem can intensify negative body image perceptions, leading to dissatisfaction and self-criticism.
It is necessary to understand that body image is not solely based on physical appearance but also on our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs about our bodies. Professionals like therapists and registered dietitians are here to help you work through these challenges – to hold space for exploring your body story, offer new tools and cheer you on along the way.
Body Image Psychology
There are so many psychological factors that influence body image. Social media and the hypercritical world in which we live promotes unrealistic beauty standards that many people compare themselves to. Filters and photoshop aren’t doing us any favors as far as cultivating a positive body image, but having a dedicated space to work individually on improving your body image is a great starting place.
What’s more, our personal experiences and relationships can shape an individual’s body image. Negative comments, bullying, sexual assaults, and other traumatic experiences can significantly impact self-perception and body image. Developing self-compassion and surrounding ourselves with positive support systems can help reframe body image and put it in a more positive light.
Why Does Body Image Change So Much Throughout the Day?
Body image is a complex and dynamic concept that can fluctuate throughout the day. Many factors contribute to these fluctuations, including our emotional state, physical sensations, and external influences. I made this graphic to show how I visualize body image changing throughout the day or week.
Our Emotions and Body Image
Emotions play a major role in how we feel about our bodies. General happiness, confidence, and an overall sense of feeling content tends to coincide with a positive and/or neutral body image. On the other hand, negative emotions such as stress, sadness, or anxiety can trigger negative body image thoughts and feelings, even if those feelings aren’t directly related to your body.
Try to remember this the next time you’re having a tough time with body image. Ask yourself, is something else going on? Am I stressed at work? Is my relationship in a hard spot? Am I worried about a family member? Your coping mechanism for handling these misplaced emotions may be to start tearing apart your appearance but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Physical Sensations and Body Image
Physical sensations and discomfort can also influence body image. For example, if we are experiencing pain, bloating, or discomfort, we may feel more self-conscious about our bodies. These physical sensations can lead to heightened self-awareness and negative body image thoughts.
There’s also a lot that happens throughout the day. Temperature changes, what you eat, what you drink, how tired you are, your level of activity, the clothes you wear, and even altitude changes can impact your body and how you perceive it. The reality is that you didn’t transform into an entirely different person within 12 hours. You simply existed as a human, and your body, resilient as it is, adapted accordingly.
It is important to acknowledge that our bodies are constantly changing. Everybody bloats. Everybody has weight fluctuations. These things make you human. But that doesn’t make them easier to navigate. Lucky for you, The Wellful is all about working with humans, no matter who they are or what their struggles may be to develop more self compassion and tools you can use in the moment to help body image and the feelings that follow feel less out of control.
External Influences on Body Image
External influences, such as social media, can heavily impact our body image. The constant exposure to carefully curated and filtered images can create unrealistic expectations and comparisons, leading to negative body image. Seeing perfectly posed and edited photos can make us feel inadequate or dissatisfied with our own bodies.
We touched on this earlier, but it bears repeating: so often, the images we see on social media are often heavily edited and do not reflect reality. Even the “real” moments are snapshots in time of the absolute best of the best parts of someone’s day – or at least the parts they choose to show us. Trust us, no one is thriving all the time. Taking breaks from social media or following people in all body sizes that represent the world we live in can help counteract the negative effects and promote a more positive body image.
Taking Care of Yourself and Your Body Image
Coming to terms with the fact that daily fluctuations in body image is normal is a great first step. Then, identify the things that influence your body image (check out this prompt here) and make a second list of the things that feel helpful and grounding to you on hard body image days or moments. Here are some ideas:
Staying mindful: Pay attention to your thoughts and emotions surrounding your body. Adopting a compassionate approach that challenges negative body image thoughts will go a long way.
Engaging in positive self-talk: Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations and reminders of your worth beyond physical appearance.
Surrounding yourself with people who lift you up: : Negative energy vampires need not apply! Seek out supportive friends, family members, or communities that celebrate diversity and promote body acceptance.
Focusing on enjoyment : Doing activities that make you feel good about yourself will help you be more at peace with your body and how you experience it. This may include learning a new skill, cultivating a hobby, going to the movies, or just getting together with a friend for a little chit chat.
Limiting media exposure: Take breaks from social media or unfollow accounts that promote unrealistic beauty standards. Also say no to any accounts that don’t make you feel good about yourself. This can be tough if some of the accounts are people you know. If that’s the case, mute their posts and stories; they’ll never be the wiser and you won’t have your feed flooded with messages that don’t serve you. Instead, follow body-positive accounts that promote self-love and acceptance.
Seeking professional help: If a negative body image is taking a toll on your mental state, , consider reaching out to a therapist or a registered dietitian specializing in body image issues.
Improve Your Body Image with The Wellful
At The Wellful, we provide a supportive community to help build healthy relationships with food and body image free from obsession or restriction.
At our practice, our goal is to make wellness less confusing. We offer caring nutrition therapy and education rooted in an anti-diet mentality. We’re here to show you how worthy you are of feeling peace and at home in your body. To get started, schedule a free 15-minute consultation with our RD, Brenna.
Contact us today at 925-725-2761 to begin caring for your whole self.
