Banning Body Checking from Our Lives
It seems normal at first, like it’s just another part of your routine. You’re in the bathroom and see your scale sitting there, or you’re about to shower and the mirror is right in front of you. But slowly, it can become an issue. The problem begins when staring at your body or weighing yourself becomes automatic. “Body checking” is defined as the habit of checking your body’s weight, shape, size or appearance. You might think it makes you feel better to check, but in reality it just makes you feel worse.
Our generation has normalized hating on our bodies. It’s become so normalized that it’s almost weird to actually embrace your appearance, which is deeply disturbing. Social media romanticizes the idea of losing weight and changing how you look. Magazines place photoshopped models on the front covers. It is no surprise that we are in a constant state of checking to see what we look like when we’re exposed to an impossible standard and live in a society that places such an emphasis on appearance.
I know from personal experience how hard it can be to step away from the scale and convince yourself that the numbers don't matter. Packing for college this year, my scale was immediately thrown into my suitcase. Pulled out of my suitcase. Placed back into my suitcase once again. After much back and forth, I made the difficult decision to leave the scale behind. It might not seem like a big or scary choice, but it was for me because throughout the previous year, checking my weight had become so routine that I didn’t even realize how detrimental it was for my self-image and overall mental health.
It’s not realistic to immediately throw out your scale or to stop looking in the mirror. However, it is important to recognize how often you’re engaging in body checking behaviors. Recognition is the first step towards change. You can’t love something that you constantly scrutinize, and obsessing over your body just inflicts stress and unhappiness upon yourself.
Use this week to find gratitude for how much your body actually does for you, instead of criticizing it. No one has the capacity to love your body as much as you do. It’s time to make peace with your appearance and stop hyper-fixating on your supposed flaws.
How your body looks on a random Monday doesn’t change how many people love you. How much you weighed yesterday doesn’t change all of the happy memories that you’ve made and will make with your friends and family. If you really think about it, life’s special moments have nothing to do with your body and everything to do with who you are as a person.
Love your body. It's important. You're important. How your body looks day to day doesn't change that. If you take one thing away from “Love Your Body Week,” let it be that your body is what allows you to enjoy life so much. Without it, you wouldn’t be here, and that’s a reason that you should love it every single day.