Journal Prompts: Body Image Acceptance
This is a list of journal prompts to assist with episode 49: Healing Body Image Issues: Advice for Body Image Acceptance and Healing Negative Self-Talk
I have also put together Affirmations for Body Image Acceptance & Healing.
Journal Prompts:
Write down all the negative, critical, or judgemental thoughts you have about your body. Then take each thought and spend time on reflecting where this thought originated. Is this a new or old thought? Is this something you started telling yourself or is it something someone has said to you? Begin to bring awareness and curiosity to each of these thoughts/feelings.
When you think of accepting your body and loving your body, how do you feel in your body? Do you feel light and open? Or does this bring up anxiety? Resistance? Explore what feelings, emotions, and sensations arise when you think about loving and accepting your body exactly as it is today.
When did you first have negative feelings towards your body? This often happens in childhood or as a teenager. Explore what arises for you, and how this feels.
Think of yourself as a child (you choose the age), and tell that version of yourself how beautiful they are and how lovable their body is. Allow yourself to tell your inner child all the things you wish you heard about your body when you were a child. If you would like, you can also write a letter to this child self.
What are your parents (or caregivers) relationships like with their bodies? Do you see any similarities or differences between the ways they talk about their bodies and the way you talk about and treat your body?
Do you feel connected (ex: grounded) or disconnected (ex: flighty) from your body? Explore why you chose the answer you chose.
Journal about your relationship with your body. Are you kind to your body? Are you critical? Do you ignore your body? Or do you listen to what it is telling you?
Write a letter of forgiveness to your body. Write “Dear Body” and then allow yourself to free-write a letter of apology to your body. You can apologize for all the times you ignored your body, or for negatively talking to your body, or the way it was treated by others, or whatever arises for you in the moment. Trust what comes out and allow yourself to free write to your body.
What does your body need from you moving forward? Is there something your body has been trying to communicate with you, but you have been ignoring?
Write 10 affirmations about your body. (Affirmations are affirmative "I AM" statements, such as, "I am healthy." or "I am beautiful"). Choose one to display somewhere in your home, for example a bathroom mirror. Or check out my list of body image acceptance affirmations.
Take an 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper and write I LOVE MY BODY in large letters. Allow yourself to creatively color or decorate this sheet of paper. You can write additional positive statements or just color it with markers or colored pencils (I also like to use glitter). This exercise is supposed to be fun, so allow yourself to enjoy this practice, take the time to creatively design this piece of paper and be with your body.
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