What is Body Neutrality and how it can help you feel amazing

You’ve definitely heard the term “body positivity” before, but “body neutrality” may be a new one.

Body positivity has been a massively popular concept over the past few years. Women across social media posted sweaty selfies in their gym clothes with hashtags of #bodypositivity, #loveyourself, and #selflove. Brands started to feature more diverse body types and stopped airbrushing out the cellulite and stretch marks of their models.

The problem with body positivity is that we all have days when being body positive isn’t possible. When you just can’t look at yourself with love. When your mind hits that dark place where the light seems so far away. If you’ve committed yourself to being body-positive, these days will make it feel like you’ve failed and give you a sense of guilt.

This is where body neutrality comes in, because some days we feel good about our body, some days we feel bad about our body, but on all days, we can respect our body.

So what is Body Neutrality?

It’s about loving yourself as a person, not just as a body. We are more then the way we look, body neutrality takes the focus off the appearance of our body and instead appreciating our whole overall feeling of well being.

Your body allows you to exercise, travel the world and have new experiences. Your body gives you the ability to hold hands or hug someone you love. Your body gets you where you need to go. Body neutrality is about seeing your body as your home and that when treated with care, can help you move about the world in a way that brings you happiness.

Body neutrality is the understanding that some days you may feel more positive about your body, and some days that confidence may not be there, but it’s about knowing there will be ups and downs and letting go of the pressure to always be perfectly positive about your body.

What are the benefits Body Neutrality?

Self Care– Body neutrality encourage you to love your body enough to take care of it. This is so much more than just dietary choices and numbers on a scale. It includes regular check-ups with your doctor, addressing mental health concerns and taking the time for important self-care activities like getting a good nights’ sleep, social activities and staying hydrated.

More Time– When we spend less time thinking about our bodies we have so much more time to focus on other things. Obsessing, judging ourselves, and self-criticism takes up so much mental energy. More importantly, these types of thoughts prevent us from enjoying experiences and being fully present in our lives.

Health– Body neutrality encourages us to think more about our health then the way we look.

What do you think about body neutrality? Let me know in the comments.

Love Hayley x

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