Practical Steps to Feel Good About Your Body

 

Sometimes, when I’m in the gym, I look to see if anyone has the same body shape as me. The same thing happens every time. I can match up the top half, or the bottom half, or the middle – but I’m yet to find another who fits me. It’s the same when I walk through the forest. I look at the hundreds of pine trees. All standing tall, with the sun streaming through them. The perfect komorebi. From a distance, they look the same, but get up close, and the differences are palpable. Even ladybirds have different spots.

It’s easy to focus on our flaws. Or to try and match parts of ourselves to the same part on another, without realising it wouldn’t match the bit it connects to. We forget to appreciate the beauty of our uniqueness, and instead try to blend in.

 

Acknowledging the Struggle

 

I remember the days when people criticised magazines for their “improvement” of photographs. Using computer programmes to make skin flawless, slim waists, reduce bum size. Now we have cameras that do this without asking, and phones with filter upon filter upon filter. It’s harder to feel good about your body if you spend more time looking at adapted photographs of other humans. Photographs that – when looked at often enough – make us think this is the prototype. How the perfect human looks. And if we don’t look that way, we are inadequate.

 

 

Practical Steps to Embrace Your Body

 

You want to feel good about your body?

1. Check your environment – the ideal is to come off social media, but when that is unlikely, curate your feed so you see the positive things that help you feel good. You need to do more than unfollow, the algorithms mean you’ll see more of what you already watch. Just watching one small clip of something that negatively affects the way you see yourself will mean you see more of the same. Spend more time in the real world, with humans as unique as you.
2. Practice daily gratitude for your body – every day write down one thing that you appreciate about your body. My chunky thighs are muscular, they might not fit well into a pair of skimpy shorts, but they help lower my risk of osteoporosis, improve my posture, help me tolerate glucose and a heap more.
3. Dress to feel good – wear clothes that help you feel yourself. I’m much more comfortable in some baggy pants, a t-shirt and trainers than a smart trousers and top combo. I might look like I’ve made the least effort in the room, but it lets my authenticity shine through.
4. Connect with your body through physical activity – it’s a myth that exercise is the way to reach an ideal weight. Exercise is so much more than this, it is a way to connect with your body. A way to reestablish the mind-body connection that helps in other aspects of life. You can use exercise for mindfulness to improve your mental health. Exercise gives your body what it expects and needs to function optimally. Exercise generates the release of hormones that help you feel good. Exercise improves your immune system, and helps you sleep. Exercise is paramount to a healthy mind and body. When you exercise, you get the opportunity to nurture your body as you listen to it and respond accordingly. You get the opportunity to admire your body as you notice what it can achieve physically, and you get the opportunity to challenge your body as you push through mental barriers. All these things will help you appreciate your body in a way you haven’t before.
5. Focus on what your body can do – rather than on how you look. Every day your body helps you survive. Your body helps you feel good – when you laugh, hug or dance. What you see is the shell of an inner mechanism that is so incredible, even the most intelligent scientists can’t work it all out. This is so much more important than what you see in the mirror.

 

 

Practical Steps to Embrace Uniqueness

 

1. Look for inspiration, not comparison – I love going to the gym for example. I feel surrounded by people who love their body so much they’ll drag themselves out of a warm cosy house and put themselves through the challenges it takes to look after themselves. Regardless of how they look, I admire them and use their determination as inspiration to keep me going. When you’re out and about and notice another person, think deeper than surface level. Rather than comparing your image to theirs, use their unique characteristics as inspiration to find your own. Remind yourself that your body is just as worthy of admiration.
2. Celebrate your uniqueness – Just as no two pine trees are alike, no two bodies are either. What’s one thing about your body that makes you, you? Is it your strong legs that carry you through the day? Your hands that create and hold? Begin with one small acknowledgement each day. Eventually, you’ll look at yourself with awe and wonder as you stand there recognising every small fine detail of yourself.
3. Spend time in nature – Walking in the forest is a healing reminder of how diversity in nature creates beauty. It makes it easy to recognise the uniqueness of every single thing in the natural world – which you are as much a part of as everything in the forest. Humans are not computer generated with a prototype that we should all strive to match. This is what makes us wonderful.

 

I’ll remember next time I’m in the gym to try something different. Instead of looking for someone who matches my shape, I’m going to look in the mirror and recognise that my body is one of a kind. It’s doing incredible things, whether it’s lifting weights, stretching, or simply showing up. Just like the trees and the ladybirds, our beauty lies in individuality. We don’t need to fit into a mould. The world is richer when we all bring our own unique shape, story, and spots to the table.

 

 

Welcome to my website, a space where I try to catch your eye, and explain the heart of my practice.

My journey over 16 years has taught me that true knowledge isn’t about the letters after my name or the timeline of my academic pursuits. It’s about the stories shared, the moments of vulnerability, and the human connection that transforms both you and me. It’s holding space, listening intently, and noticing the patterns within your words and emotions.

Together, we can navigate the complexities of life, embracing both the shadow and the light. So, if you’re seeking more than just a quick fix, and ready to make lasting changes, you’re in the right place. Let’s embark on this journey together. Read more about my approach here.