While summer is often portrayed as a “fun” season full of excitement and activity, it can also worsen pre-existing body image issues in many high school and college students.
The media’s pressure on girls and women specifically to slim down in order to achieve the “perfect summer body” is one reason for this. When we are constantly bombarded with messages from social media influencers, advertisements, and the like that there is one correct way to have a body—and that how we look in the summer in the season’s relaxed dress code matters more than how we feel—we’re bound to internalize the message.
However, girls are not the only ones who struggle with their body image. Studies show that more than half of teens are uncomfortable with their bodies, regardless of gender—and the summer season only amplifies their dissatisfaction.
What if, instead of scrutinizing and trying to change your body for summer, you went against the grain? This summer, what if you choose to love and accept your body exactly as it is?
Easier said than done, you may be thinking.
So, to make the process easier, we came up with 10 practical, empowering tips to help you embrace your body this summer. Take what works and leave the rest, and remember—you deserve to move through this world with confidence and joy, no matter your body size.
#1: Wear Comfortable Clothing
One simple way to develop a more positive relationship with your body this summer is to wear comfortable clothing that reflects your personal style. Feeling at ease in your clothing boosts self-confidence and reduces the tendency to hyperfocus on your appearance and size. Conversely, when you wear ill-fitting clothing that doesn’t match your style, you’re more likely to be self-conscious about your appearance and, thus, disconnected from the physical experience of being in your body.
#2: Develop a More Conscious Relationship With Social Media
Social media plays a significant role in the body image of many teens. A 2019 Mental Health Foundation survey reveals, for instance, that of the British teens surveyed, 40 percent reported worrying about their body image because of “images on social media.” Moreover, a recent American Psychological Association study shows that teens who cut their social media use in half for only a few weeks felt significantly better about their weight and overall appearance.
As you reflect on your social media use and its role in your body image, ask yourself: How often do you go on social media? How do you feel before and after using social media? What kinds of accounts do you follow—and of those, which benefit your mental health, and which do not?
Social media often flattens the human experience in its focus on image and appearances. Following content creators who promote body acceptance and inclusivity can make your experience on social media a more positive one. If you want to take more drastic measures, taking a break from social media altogether can help you reconnect with yourself, your passions, and your community.
#3: Engage in Mindful Movement
In our society, movement is so often portrayed and understood as a means to an end—usually to reshape your body to fit an idealized body type. When we view exercise solely as a way to lose weight or alter specific body parts, it becomes a chore rather than an activity that can help us feel grounded, strong, and just plain good!
Instead of exercising to change the size and appearance of your body, what if you embraced movement as a way to connect with yourself and your body? Mindful movement, no matter the type, promotes self-awareness and appreciation of what your body can do, helping you feel more present and self-accepting, and less focused on your appearance.
#4: Learn Who Profits From Your Self-Hatred—and Redirect Your Anger
There are entire industries that profit off of your desire to change your body: the diet industry, exercise industry, and even the pharmaceutical industry, to name a few major players. The diet industry in particular rakes in tens of billions of dollars every year with false promises of joy and fulfillment once you reach a certain body size.
The truth is, diets don’t work—and going on one certainly won’t bring the self-love and life satisfaction you seek. Instead of blaming yourself and your body for not looking a certain way, it can be empowering to direct your anger toward the institutions and cultural norms that uphold these body ideals in the first place. Your body was never the problem!
#5: Participate in Activities That Bring You Joy
Your time is precious. Focusing on what you perceive as “wrong” with your body only takes away from the time you could spend on activities you enjoy.
Likewise, when you engage in activities you care about, you’re less likely to fixate on your body’s shape and size because you’ll be immersed in what you’re doing. Engaging in your favorite hobbies, whether alone or with others, is a great way to shift attention away from your body and toward what really matters.
#6: Celebrate Your Non-Physical Attributes
Whether it’s your intelligence, kindness, sense of humor, or other trait, there are many more interesting aspects of you than your appearance. By recognizing and valuing these qualities, you can foster a positive self-image that isn’t dependent on how you look. You are worth celebrating!
#7: Surround Yourself With Others Embracing Body Acceptance
It can be tough to go against the crowd—and body acceptance is not exactly the most popular movement. For this reason, spending time with people who already accept their bodies, or are working toward it, can make accepting your own much easier.
Likewise, when you are in the company of those who already embrace or respect their bodies—or, like you, are striving to do so—can help you not only foster a more loving attitude toward your body, but reduce the urge to compare your body to others and promote mutual encouragement and empowerment.
#8: Set Boundaries
By the same token, it’s important to establish and maintain boundaries with people who negatively impact your body image. It’s perfectly okay, for example, to express your discomfort with certain topics, such as dieting and weight, and to steer conversations away from them. You also have the right to distance yourself from people who make you feel uncomfortable about your body in any way.
#9: Be Compassionate to Yourself
Showing yourself compassion is one of the best things you can do for your body image, particularly on poor body image days.
As Kindful Body therapist Lauren Lambert, LPCC says, “It’s not realistic to expect yourself to always love or like your body,” and “there’s common humanity in the reality that we all have good days, bad days, and days in between.” Developing a positive body image takes time—and shaming yourself for struggling with it will only increase your suffering.
In the face of difficulty, whether about body image or not, treating yourself with the same compassion you would show a friend can help you cultivate a more positive body image.
#10: Work With a Therapist
If you find yourself still struggling with body image, there is no shame in seeking extra support from a therapist. Working with a therapist trained in body image issues allows you to explore your thoughts and feelings about your body in a non-judgmental, compassionate space. They can help you uncover the roots of negative beliefs about your body and develop healthier coping strategies so you can move forward with more self-confidence and self-acceptance.
Begin Body Image Therapy in California
Kindful Body can help you or your loved one positively transform how you think and feel about your body, regardless of gender and size. At Kindful Body, we utilize the most cutting-edge, evidence-based approaches, including Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, and Somatic-based modalities and approach disordered eating and body image from a Health At Every Size (HAES) lens. You can begin therapy with us by following these steps:
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Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with our client care coordinator.
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Connect with a caring, experienced eating disorder therapist.
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Start improving the relationship between you and your body!
Other services offered by Kindful Body
Our team is happy to offer a variety of services in support of your mental health, including therapy focused on self-esteem issues, trauma and PTSD, emotional eating recovery, binge eating disorder, and body image, as well as nutrition counseling. You can start receiving support from Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland/Berkeley, Walnut Creek, San Mateo, Orange County, or anywhere in California.
