Body Image Reset: Week 1
AWARENESS
The first week of our Body Image Reset is to spend our time becoming AWARE of what we think about bodies (not just our own). This involves paying attention to the words that we say to ourselves, but in order to become aware of what we say to ourselves we must create intentional safe experiences for us to explore the things our mind tells us. One of my favorite activities that I teach is a very simple one and all it requires is your notebook and a writing utensil + a mirror. You can also do this with a photograph of yourself that you dislike, but I find the mirror the most challenging because that is where we tend to spend a lot of our time hating the way we look/appear to the world - but ultimately, if you are not ready for the mirror, then a photograph you dislike will work.
The Steps:
Set a timer for 2 minutes (it’s longer than you think)
Disrobe in front of the mirror OR look at the photograph
Pay attention to where your eyes go first and listen for the immediate thought (it is imperative that you do not JUDGE the thought!)
Write down the thought that you have (no matter how vile it might be)
Continue looking at yourself, dissecting your body into pieces with your eyes and hearing the thoughts that come to the surface, writing them down as you go
At the end of the 2 minutes, look at what you have written down - now you can get curious.
CURIOSITY
You’ve heard me talk about (and use!) curiosity in a lot of my self work and the work I do with others - this is the key that makes ALLLLL the difference in the world, because it turns us into a viewer of our thoughts instead of being consumed by them. Use the following questions below and journal your answers:
What did you feel right before looking in the mirror/at the photograph? Were you nervous, anxious, etc.? What did it feel like in your body?
What were you afraid of seeing?
When was the first time I heard these words from someone else?
Who taught me this way of thinking/that this body part shouldn’t look like this?
What am I making these parts of my body mean? (for example, if I think my thighs are big and disgusting - what does it mean if they ARE big and disgiusting?)
What was my energy/mindset like before I did this activity? (were you stressed out, tired, happy, joyful, etc.?)
What is a neutral thought I could have to replace the current thoughts I have? (ie. I think my thighs are big and disgusting -> I have thighs.)
YOUR DAILY PRACTICE FOR THE WEEK:
Carve out 10-15 minutes in your day to do the 2 minutes of looking at yourself/looking at a photograph and give yourself a buffer of 8-13 minutes of curiosity time. You will want to do this daily. At the end of the week, look at your journal entries and see if there are any trends/patterns.
Feel free to use the comment section at the bottom of each week to let me know how you are making out/what you are noticing! Also, feel free to reach out to me on instagram and share your practices by tagging me @terihofford ! You are not in this alone!
