Body love – it is such a full on topic.
From unrealistic society standards to alarming trends of eating disorders and rates of depression, we have seemingly turned our backs on our bodies. The very thing that keeps us in the world is coping major flak and is suffering big time.
It is such an important discussion, which is why it will be the focus of my next Weekly Pep Talk. (sign up here!)
This blog post is a challenge.
I challenge you to do one small act of body love each day.
Do you remember what it means to love your body? Or have you spent so much time hating on it and resenting it? I know that before I started to focus on body love, my brain was naturally geared for body hate. I didn’t treat my body with respect, I had a terrible eating habit (bordering on an eating disorder) and lived in a constant state of jealousy. Ask me then what body love means and I would’ve looked at you as if you had just asked me to recite the Chinese alphabet. But since then, as I have put those dark days behind me, I have come to develop my own understanding of body love. And it will be different for everyone. So I encourage you to explore what it means for you and to come up with your own definition.
For me, self love means treating the mind + body + spirit like a temple. I cannot separate my spirit from my body, the two are linked. And when I have nurtured one I have nurtured both.
Here is a short list of ways that I like to maintain a body love care routine:
- Meditate
- Get at least 8 hours of sleep each night
- Nap when I am tired. Move when I am over tired.
- Drink lots of water. Lots.
- Eat chocolate once a day, rather than three times.
- Aim for 5 veggies and 2 fruits a day. But don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get there.
- Move. Dance. Wiggle. Shimmy.
This list is by no means exhaustive and there are so many ways we can show respect and love for ourselves. I want you to come up with your own list of body lovin’ ways and do one thing each day. Just one small thing.
Let me know how you go! And share this with your friends and do the challenge together!!