There's no wrong way to live in your body

I’ve seen jokey posts from people about overeating and gaining weight during this crisis and lots of judgment about what a desirable body should look like with before and after body memes. I get it. I’ve definitely been eating more dessert and chips and the jeans that I’ve worn maybe 3x the past month are tight and have been replaced by sweats and PJs. I’ve always had the privilege of being slim (with periods of weight gain during hard times) but still have spent my life looking at the mirror, distraught at how much my body is falling short of “ideals” and disappointed in myself for not having better self discipline or being of the wrong genetic makeup. But when I committed to accepting and loving myself as I am, that included my body.⁣
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My kids like to jiggle my stomach and joke that there’s a lot of fat there. My response is to laugh with them and say that’s okay, I love my body including the jiggly fat. This doesn’t mean I don’t want to eat healthier or be more comfortable in my skinny jeans or have a flatter stomach but it does mean that I will accept the body I am in now and love it for being healthy and able (which I am lucky for having). I will be gentle with myself and let go of self-judgment for how my body looks. There is no wrong way to live in a body and the relationship you have with your body is no one else’s business but yours, even though the world acts differently. So please be gentle with your body during these trying times. Self-judgment doesn’t serve anyone and feeling bad about yourself doesn’t put you in a good place to help anyone else. You are beautiful just the way you are – touching thighs, jiggly belly and all.⁣
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Image from Self Care is for Everyone. 

This is from a personal journal writing shared in the newsletter and typically not shared on the blog. To read these, subscribe to the “I Matter” newsletter below.