Article
What helps when you cannot stand how you look today?
Some days your body feels like the problem, and every mirror confirms it. Those days are worth having a plan for.
The short answer
Bad body image days are usually less about your body and more about distress that has landed there. What helps is lowering the volume rather than arguing with the thoughts: comfortable clothing, less mirror checking, fewer comparisons, and naming what else is going on.
For today
- Wear what is comfortable. Fighting your clothing all day makes everything louder.
- Reduce checking. Every extra look tends to increase distress rather than settle it.
- Put the phone down for a while. Comparison is not a neutral input.
- Keep eating normally. Skipping meals almost always makes the day harder.
- Ask what else hurt today. Body dissatisfaction often arrives after something else did.
Why the body becomes the target
The body is visible and feels changeable, so it becomes the place we put distress we cannot otherwise reach. If you grew up hearing bodies discussed, judged or joked about, that channel was carved early.
Naming that is not an excuse to ignore how you feel. It gives you somewhere more useful to look.
When to bring it to counseling
If body thoughts are shaping whether you go out, what you eat, whether you let yourself be photographed, or how you treat yourself, that is worth real support rather than more discipline.
Common questions
Is bad body image the same as an eating disorder?
No, though they often overlap. Only a qualified professional can evaluate what is happening for you.
Do I have to love my body?
No. Many people aim for something more livable: respect, neutrality and less noise.
Can counseling help body image?
Yes. It is one of the most common reasons women and students come in.
Learn more about counseling for eating disorders and body image with Lori, or browse all articles on eating, food and body image.
Written by Lori Rasmussen, LISW, a Licensed Independent Social Worker licensed in the State of Iowa and a Certified Spiritual Director. Lori counsels women and female students in Waterloo, Iowa and online across Iowa. Articles here are meant to help you understand what you may be experiencing; they are not a diagnosis and they do not take the place of care from a professional who knows your story.
Reaching out can be the first step.
You don't need to know exactly what to say, or have anything figured out, before you contact Lori.
Or email rasmussencounselingandsd@gmail.com