How to Accept Your Body

It is the new year! If you haven’t already, you will start seeing the slogan “new year, new me” plastered everywhere. From hashtags to journal entries, these words invade the planet after the Time’s Square Ball drops in New York City. You may wonder what this phrase even means! Does it mean that you will become a completely different person by the end of 2022? Or does it signify a change in perspective and outlook on the world? Whatever “new year, new me” means to you is not the point here. The real question being posed is: Why do we have to change ourselves in the new year? What is wrong with being who we are right now? This article will explore how to appreciate yourself and how to accept your body in 2022 (and any year)!

Let’s Challenge the idea, “New Year, New Me”

Of course, it is great to strive to improve and enhance our lives. The problem lies in the motives and reasoning behind our desire to change. Why do you want to make changes in your life? Is it to fulfill your own needs or to follow the will of others.

Why do we as a society feel the need to reinvent ourselves and constantly “glow up.” As mentioned before, if you want to enhance your life for healthy reasons, that is one thing. Unfortunately, many of us might feel the need to change ourselves to please others. Sadly, people often treat others who don’t fit society’s made-up standards poorly. Many people are not friendly to those deemed plus size or bigger than the slim, stereotypical prototype pushed on us.

We should embrace people of all sizes, shapes, and backgrounds. The idea of “new year, new me” should be used to inspire you to become your best self and appreciate who you are more. It should be about fulfilling your greatest aspirations/desires and pleasing yourself. No one else should make you feel like you have to change who you are. This idea is especially important when it comes to how we view our bodies.

How Society Influences Our View of Our Bodies

Weight Loss and Changes to Our Bodies

People often use the “new year, new me: slogan to motivate themselves to lose weight in the new year. Gyms will often flood with people aiming to have their “dream body” finally.

What if we started to reject the idea of a “dream body? What if you started to value your body more for what it does for you rather than how it looks? This idea goes along with the Body Neutrality Movement. This movement is about accepting your body for what it is and appreciating it even when you don’t necessarily love it. Fitness instructor, Bethany Meyers, talked about this idea in her TED Talk. Meyers shared that she struggled with an eating disorder for many years. She felt the need to always look her best in her industry, even if this meant purging and not eating.

Eventually, Meyers knew that she had to make a change. She started slowly, but surely allowing herself to eat and throw away her scale. She started working out to feel “motivated, centered, and empowered” rather than to lose weight. Meyers brings up the idea that “body dysmorphia does not discriminate.” Any person can look at their body and feel horrible in it. Meyers urges people to strive towards body neutrality in their lives. Body neutrality promotes the idea that even on our worst days (when we dislike our bodies), we still will treat them with respect. What do you think of this idea?

Aging and the Pressure to Stay Young

In the Western World, aging is looked at more as something to fear rather than celebrate. Women especially face immense pressure to prevent any forms of aging. As mentioned in our past article, women as young as 25 will start fearing the impending doom of getting older. In an article by Cameron et al., researchers say that many women find aging difficult. To these women, aging signifies the young and attractive person they once were slipping away. Aging makes women fear something that should be exciting – aging. Getting older helps you become wiser and more experienced in life. It is a blessing to grow old and live each day; unfortunately, some people don’t get to do so because they died too soon or early in life.

Some women may have a New Year’s resolution to keep on their skincare routine or get BOTOX to prevent the inevitable “curse” of getting old. Why should people suffer from this idea? Why should aging be demonized, and why should we fight so hard to keep looking young?

Embracing Who You are in a Biased World

We live in a society that most promotes white, thin, straight, non-disabled people. It can be hard to feel represented or seen if you stray from these categories. How often have you watched a movie and noticed that each scene was filled with an all-white cast? Do you go to the romance section of your book store and see no LGBTQ+ stories on the shelves? Have you visited places that had no wheelchair accessibility or accommodations at all?

Moreover, People in marginalized groups face more discrimination. According to a survey by CAP, 45% of LGBTQI+ adults with a disability shared that they faced discrimination in the prior year. This article notes that 54% of respondents were adults of color. As mentioned in our article about rising discrimination rates, hate crimes have increased significantly against AAPI since the outbreak of the pandemic. It is easy to ask the question: how do I show myself appreciation if the world around me doesn’t seem to? 

How to Accept Your Body in 2022

Increase Gratitude and Acceptance

Increasing gratitude/acceptance in your lives is one way for you to learn how to accept your body. As mentioned before, body neutrality is a great way to increase these accepting ideals in your life. Body neutrality promotes ideas like:

• We are so much more than how our bodies look
• Our physical appearance is not the most important or interesting thing about us
• Our bodies deserve respect even when we don’t like how it looks at the moment

These ideas help us accept our bodies for what they are and do for us. Our worth becomes more focused on who we are as a person rather than how we look. Many people who promote body neutrality believe that body positivity is a great goal to strive for, but neutrality helps people accept themselves even when they don’t feel too positive. As a goal for this year, try learning more about body neutrality. Read books, follow accounts on Instagram that talk about this topic, and listen to Ted Talks or speeches about it. Meyer’s TED Talk is a great place to start! 

With Aging…

Body neutrality can help us with ideas of and fears of aging. If we look at our bodies as vessels carrying us through  life, we will appreciate them for their longevity and ability to sustain life for so many years. We should be proud of our bodies for getting us this far and carrying us throughout all of our experiences. Thank your body for allowing you to breathe air every day, listen to music, or hug your best friend.

Speak Kindly to Yourself and Say Positive Affirmations

Learning how to accept your body involves self-love and care! Speaking kindly to our bodies and promoting loving thoughts can help us accept our bodies in 2022. Let this year be a time to challenge your beliefs and push back on negative thinking about your physical appearance. Say positive affirmations and quotes to your body each day – when you wake up, when you feel insecure, and before you go to bed. Some sayings can include: 

I am…

• Full of strength in my body
• Beautiful inside and out
• Worthy of respecting and caring for my body
• Doing amazing in life and should be proud of all of my accomplishments

Challenge Your Ideas on Weight-Loss and Beauty

As mentioned many times in this article, it is great to challenge specific ways of thinking, especially in our society. Just because society or other people tell you to act or look a certain way does not mean these statements are valid. Our society’s social norms and beauty standards do not have to control your life. You set the criteria for your own life and deserve to treat your body kindly! Why should women past their 20s feel old? Why do men who don’t have abs feel lesser or not enough? Follow what makes YOU happy in life and fulfills your values. 

Wear What You Want and Do What You Please

You have the most important say in what you wear and do with your body. Don’t follow trends that you dislike just to fit in – wear what is comfortable, makes you feel confident, and puts a smile on your face. Don’t be afraid to step outside of the box – the most inspirational people all stood out from the crowd, at first, as they blazed trails. People like Lady Gaga or Billy Porter followed their own fashion trends and paved the way for others to embrace their individuality and uniqueness.  

Follow celebrities or blogs that speak to your own style and interests. Embrace things you enjoy and stop fearing what others will think – focus more on what you think and feel!

Build Your Self-Esteem

Work on building self-esteem in the new year! This will help you learn how to accept your body and appreciate who you are. You can do this by speaking kindly to yourself, pushing back on negative thoughts, spending time with people who value you, and following your passions. Another great way to feel confident is to immerse yourself in media that inspires you or makes you feel seen. 

For example, watch interviews of famous people who embrace who they are and succeed by doing so. Aaron Rose Philip is a black, transgender model with cerebral palsy who is paving the way for a new generation of fashion and influence. People who are in wheelchairs, like Aaron, can be inspired seeing her make her way down a runway or pose in the recent Moschino collection. 

Seek Help from a Professional to Learn How to Accept Your Body

If you struggle with any body issues, make 2022 your year to seek help and support. Our team at Mind connections would love to support you! A therapist can help you deal with any eating disorder or body dysmorphia you face. You deserve to live a happy and healthy life – one that allows you to be kind to your body and treat it with care.

A therapist can also help you build self-esteem and confidence in who you are. Our therapists support anyone who feels marginalized or harmed by our society.

We support all people and are allied with the LGBTQ+ community. Our team also has extensive experience working with Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and Filipino, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, and Chinese populations. Our team has a profound understanding of Asian cultural values, and we can speak a variety of languages. Though most of our therapists are primarily English and Mandarin/Chinese-speaking, we also have staff who are fluent in Cantonese and Korean. Call us now to learn more about how we can help you today!

Content Creator, Victoria Gallo; Reviewed by Dr. June Cao,