How to Practice Body Gratitude
By Sarah Robinson, Rachel Myrer
One way you can improve your body image is to practice body gratitude. Gratitude opens your eyes to more positive, uplifting, and happy things (Dunaev et al., 2018). There are many ways you can practice body gratitude, but the simplest is to pick up a pen and paper and write (hand writing helps you feel the words more than typing them) (Dunaev et al., 2018).
What do you write? Write what you are grateful for about your body. Try to focus on what your body can do, not what it looks like (Dunaev et al., 2018). This list will be different for you than a friend. It’s okay if it’s simple. Want some ideas to help you get started?
- I’m grateful I can walk down the street
- I’m thankful that I can feel the sun on my face
- I’m glad I can talk to my friend
- I love that I can see the beauty around me
- I’m glad that I can smile and brighten someone’s day
- I’m grateful my lungs let me breathe and live
- I’m thankful I can hear the birds sing
- I’m glad my arms can give and receive hugs
- I love that I can eat my favorite food
- I’m thankful I can smell my favorite scented candle
- I’m grateful my heart pumps each day and gives me a good life
You might think that there is nothing that you can be grateful for about your body, but there is always something. Once you find one thing, it’s easier to find another and soon you’ll have a whole list! If you are having a very difficult time, ask someone you trust to tell you what they like about you. This can start your list and you can add to it. It won’t be long before you will be filling pages with things you are grateful for about your body.
Practicing body gratitude every day (or as often as you can) will improve your body image, your self-esteem, and your physical and mental health (Dunaev et al., 2018). Grab a pen and paper and get started with being more grateful for your body today!
References
- Dunaev, J., Markey, C. H., & Brochu, P. M. (2018). An attitude of gratitude: The effects of body-focused gratitude on weight bias internalization and body image. Body Image, 25, 9–13. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.01.006