“65 Body Image Affirmations for Self Love” was written by Ayah Al-Anani and reviewed/edited by Jackie Silver MHSc, RD
Medical Disclaimer: The information in this article is meant for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be personalized medical or nutrition advice. For a plan tailored to your needs, please consult with a Registered Dietitian or qualified healthcare professional.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with body image and/or an eating disorder(s), or disordered eating, please consult with a qualified healthcare professional. Information in this blog post is not a replacement for healthcare.
Trigger Warning: Please skip this blog post if you will be triggered by the mention of body image and/or eating disorders.
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The Ultimate Self Care Gift: Self-love Body Image Affirmations.
With school, work, parenting, or any other occupation, life can get pretty hectic and crazy! In turn, we often forget to take moments for ourselves to practice self-care. The stresses of life can really take a toll on our mental and emotional well-being, which is why it is important to set aside some “you” time. Show yourself some love, you’ve earned it! To help kickstart a new self-care routine, we’re sharing 65 body image affirmations for self-love.
Body image is very important as it helps foster a positive relationship with your body, food, and, most importantly, yourself. This is why we loved the idea of sharing some of our favorite body image affirmations.
Regardless of your size, shape, disability, gender, age, or race, YOU deserve to feel special and loved.
We’ve included a section with body image affirmations for disabled people as these folks tend to be excluded and forgotten from this type of content.
What are Body Image Affirmations?
Body image refers to how you think or feel about your body. Body image ranges between negative and positive perceptions of our body and can fluctuate at various times.
Body image affirmations are short, repeated statements about yourself. They help shift negative thought patterns about your body over time and reshape the way we think. Body image affirmations are an invaluable tool to build confidence, nourish our bodies, and tune out harmful diet-culture messaging.
When we respect and love our bodies, we are more likely to be in tune with what our bodies need. In turn, this will help us engage in health promoting behaviors such as moving our bodies to improve mental health and feel good or cooking up nourishing meals.
These body image affirmations are also an important reminder that we are so much more than our bodies. Our worth and value as human beings has nothing to do with our body shape, size, or disability. We can all benefit from these reminders from time to time.
Body Neutrality
We recognize that “body positivity” is not for everyone. Thankfully, there is another option, which is to focus on body neutrality.
Body neutrality promotes accepting your body exactly as it is. It encourages us to focus on our body’s abilities and nonphysical characteristics instead of appearance.
Body neutrality is a middle ground between strongly disliking and loving our body. Viewing our bodies in a neutral manner reduces the pressure to love them, because realistically, it’s difficult to love our bodies all the time (or at all, for some people), and that’s okay. That’s why we’ve included a section of neutral body image affirmations.
We also want to acknowledge that learning to accept and/or love our bodies is a lifelong pursuit. Our bodies change throughout our lives and it’s totally normal to go through phases of not loving your body followed by phases of feeling neutral and more. Putting pressure on yourself to love your body will only make things worse.
How to Use Body Image Affirmations
Body image affirmations are powerful tools that can help reduce negative cycles of thinking. The key is repeating these body image affirmations on a regular basis and especially when you find yourself engaging in negative thoughts about your body.
Moreover, another great tip is to visualize these body image affirmations. This is really simple to do. For example, you can picture these positive body image affirmations, write them down, keep them somewhere you can see, or say them out loud.
You may want to pair your affirmations with an existing habit, like brushing your teeth. For example, you may want to write a list of your favorite body image affirmations on a sticky note and post it on your mirror so you remember to recite the affirmations while brushing your teeth or washing your face.
We’ve divided these body image affirmations into three categories:
- Self-love body image affirmations
- Body image affirmations for disabled people
- Neutral body image affirmations
Let’s jump in!
Self-Love Body Image Affirmations
- I am complete as I am.
- I love and accept my body as it is.
- My body is my home and I appreciate it.
- I am proud of everything my body has done for me.
- There’s no other body like mine and I celebrate that.
- My body is my greatest gift and I will cherish it as such.
- Others’ opinions of me do not define who I am.
- Today I will fuel my body with nourishing food.
- My weight doesn’t define my worth. I am worthy exactly as I am!
- I approve of myself and that is all I need.
- I deserve to be healthy and happy.
- I promise to love and cherish my body.
- Numbers won’t define me- I do.
- I have permission to love myself.
- Self-love is not selfish, it’s self-care.
- Clothes are made to fit my body, not the other way around.
- I can be healthy and beautiful at any size or shape.
- I love taking care of myself and my body.
- My body serves me and allows me to live a meaningful life.
- My body is an instrument to carry me through life, not an ornament.
- My size doesn’t define me.
- I am complete just the way I am.
- My body is beautiful and so am I.
- There is so much more to life than worrying about my weight.
- My self-respect does not change based on the number on a scale.
- My arms allow me to hug my loved ones.
Body Image Affirmations for Disabled People
- I am beautiful exactly the way I am.
- My scars are my battle wounds.
- My injuries remind me that I am a warrior.
- There is nothing wrong with my body.
- My body is special and I love that about myself.
- I am powerful.
- Disability does not mean inability.
- My disability is not something I must overcome, but something I must embrace.
- My body is working hard for me and I am so proud of it.
- I appreciate my body just as it is.
- My body is taking care of me and I will thank it for that every day.
- I accept and embrace the changes to my body.
- My body is a representation of my strength and courage.
- My body has carried me through countless life challenges.
- My body is resilient.
- I treat my body with compassion.
- I give myself permission to take things slow when I don’t feel well.
- My stomach allows me to digest and absorb nutrients which keeps my body functioning
- My arms enable me to propel myself in my wheelchair or to move around with my cane/walker/crutches. They give me independence.
- I am grateful for my body’s capabilities.
- It doesn’t matter how other people view my body.
- It is okay not to love my body all the time.
- It is okay to feel frustrated with my body.
Neutral Body Image Affirmations
- My body is the least interesting thing about me.
- Today I will practice self-compassion when I notice negative thoughts about my body.
- I am grateful for all the work my body does to keep my organs functioning.
- I am grateful for the ability to breathe, eat, see, hear, and walk.
- My worth is not determined by a number.
- My size, shape, and appearance does not impact my ability to enjoy life.
- I will choose forms of movement that I enjoy and make me feel good.
- Choosing nourishing, colorful foods is an act of love for my body and mind.
- I release all judgment toward my body.
- My body does not determine my lovability.
- My body protects me and keeps me safe.
- My appearance is only ONE aspect to me.
- I speak to myself and my body the way I would speak to a dear friend.
- It is okay for my feelings about my body to change from day to day.
- I view my body neutrally and without judgment.
- I aim for progress, not perfection.
- Healthy looks different on all types of bodies.
- It is okay to not feel confident all the time.
Sources: Sassy Sister Stuff, Sage and Bloom, Live Bold and Bloom, The Sitting Beauty Diaries, Power of Positivity, Gratitude Blog, Authentically Del, Ambitiously Alexa.
What Makes Body Image Affirmations Work?
The reason why these body image affirmations are so effective is because they use your brain’s ability to adapt to different situations.
However, our brains sometimes get confused when discerning between facts and our own self-deprecating thoughts. This is where body image affirmations come in handy.
Regularly repeating body image affirmations can encourage your brain to process these positive thoughts as fact. By creating a mental image of yourself feeling confident or picturing your body in a positive way, you activate the same brain areas that would be stimulated when you truly feel or see yourself that way.
Read more here.
Body Image Book Recommendations
Here are book recommendations to foster self-love, self-compassion, and work on your body image.
Eating Disorder Resources
If you’re looking for eating disorder support or are struggling with body image, please see these resources:
- National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC)
- National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)
- Eating Disorder Hope
- National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD)
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed these 65 body image affirmations for self love and we encourage you to make a list of your favorite affirmations to review daily or when you need a reminder! Self-love is one of many ways to practice self-care and give yourself some “you” time- something a lot of us often take for granted.
It is important to hit pause on life sometimes and take a mindful moment for yourself. These 65 Body Image Affirmations for Self Love are perfect for doing just that!Let us know in the comments which affirmations resonated with you the most and how you practice self-care and self-love.
About Jackie
Jackie is a Toronto-based Registered Dietitian with a Masters of Health Science (MHSc) in Nutrition Communications. Her mission is to empower and support neurodivergent and physically disabled communities through a weight-inclusive lens to manage their condition, prevent complications, and live active lifestyles through nutrition. Jackie runs a virtual private practice and consulting business and runs her blog which has simple recipes and health information for the disability and autism/ADHD communities.