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In This Issue:
Featured Wellness Message: Love Your Body
Recommended Resource: Ready to Try Radical Self-Acceptance?
My Featured Blog Post: The Three C’s Make the Holidays Less Stressful and Happier
My Recent Blog Post: How Walking Benefits Your Mental Health
My Latest Psychology Today Article: Does Self-Talk Lead to Binge Eating?
Love Your Body
“I’ll be happy when I am thinner.” “I should be more muscular.” “I wish I looked like….” Sadly, these phrases are probably familiar to you. Most American adolescents and adults say they feel pressured to have a certain body type. All of us (yes, even me) have felt the pressure to have a certain body type at one time or another.
And who can blame us? Mainstream media, the fashion industry, and advertisers bombard us with impossible standards of an “ideal body”; social media algorithms target us with messages of dissatisfaction; and the diet industry conceives “fad facts” to sell products.
The truth is, the media is wrong—because the “ideal” isn’t real. You are. And body appreciation can help your resilience in the face of these pervasive, destructive messages. That means loving your body just as it is and being thankful for all your body is capable of.
Take time to appreciate your arms that allow you to hug others, your eyes for showing you the world, your feet for keeping you balanced.
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What is one thing about your body that you’re grateful for?
Ready to Try Radical Self-Acceptance?
Learn 365 ways to love yourself unconditionally
Our distorted thoughts about ourselves are deeply held and hard to overcome. That’s why simply telling yourself, “I’m perfect just the way I am” isn’t going to change your perspective overnight—but it’s a start.
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That’s why I’m a fan of Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance, an empowering activity book that promotes embracing a healthy self-image, shoring up self-confidence, and breaking unhealthy habits to make room for healthy, sustainable ones. With a different daily prompt for an entire year, Beautiful You is a valuable companion for anyone seeking a more positive relationship with him- or herself.
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A radical self-acceptance champion, author Rosie Molinary writes, “Too often we think we are our bodies. And yet what the world most needs from us is very rarely rooted in our body. What the world needs from us is rooted in our mind and soul and heart. Our bodies are our vehicle but they do not define us. We define ourselves.”
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Molinary teaches at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, serves as a national Dove Self-Esteem Project educator, offers workshops and retreats, and speaks on self-acceptance, body image, self-care, media literacy, the Latina experience, and intentional living around the country.
“I want to apologize to all the women i have called beautiful
before I’ve called them intelligent or brave
I am sorry I made it sound as though
something as simple as what you’re born with
is all you have to be proud of
when you have broken mountains with your wit
from now on I will say things like
you are resilient, or you are extraordinary
not because I don’t think you’re beautiful
but because I need you to know
you are more than that.”
​―Rupi Kaur
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The 3 C’s Make the Holidays Less Stressful—and Happier
Learn three ways to ease anxiety and create little sparks of joy
The holidays are meant for celebration, reunion, cheer, and relaxation. But that doesn’t mean they will be stress-free.
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If you find the holiday season anxiety-provoking, you’re not alone. The pressure to buy the right gift, cook a delicious meal, travel to see family, or put on the perfect event can trigger stress.
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The good news is that a carefully planned strategy can help you face difficult situations head-on—and it doesn’t include avoidance. Staying away from stressful events won’t help you work on the issues that lead to your anxiety. It may seem counterintuitive but, in the long run, anxiety increases with avoidance.
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Instead, change your approach by implementing the 3 C’s strategy: connection, compassion, and celebration.
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With the three C’s, you can make positive memories while drawing out the community spirit, love, and warmth that is the hallmark of a meaningful holiday. For tips on how to dial into connection compassion, and celebration this holiday—and every day—read my full blog post.
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How Walking Benefits Your Mental Health
Boost your mood, energy level, confidence, and more simply by getting your steps in
It may seem simple, but walking can have a powerful effect on your mental health, and the good news is that it’s free. Whether it’s a stroll in the woods, a walk on the beach, or a jaunt around a park, walking can keep you both mentally and physically fit.
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The physical benefits of walking are well known, with improved heart health, blood sugar levels, and immune function being just some of the gains you can expect from regular walking.
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The mental benefits are just as impressive. Research shows that walking can also:
Improve mood Increase creativity Boost energy levels Improve body confidence Increase social opportunities Improve sleep
To learn more about the mental health benefits of walking, and to get tips on how to incorporate walking into a regular routine, read the full blog post.
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Does Self-Talk Lead to Binge Eating?
Your eating disorder likely has a voice. What is it saying to you?
Researchers estimate that a person generates about 6,200 thoughts a day. That’s a lot of ideas, dreams, beliefs, questions, worries, and hopes feeding into our self-talk.
The conversations we have with ourselves, just like our conversations with others, can be either constructive or destructive.
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Do you ever say some of the following things to yourself?
If I don’t control my eating, I’m going to gain weight and be rejected. I have no self-control. I’m worthless. Rejection and criticism from others won’t be as bad if I’m thinner (or more muscular). Because I didn’t stick to my diet, I must eat less and exercise more. I’m a failure. I can’t make friends because I’m not good enough. I am disgusted by people who have no self-control. Being disciplined doesn’t work for me. I might as well eat anything I want.
Our critical inner chatter can keep us stuck in cycles of food deprivation, rigid eating rules, and losing control with food—and lead to binge eating disorder, if unchecked.
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But here’s the remarkable thing: Rather than dismiss the self-talk generated by the eating disorder, stay curious about its message. Notice what needs, wishes, and fears these thoughts raise. The eating disorder may be revealing parts of you that need to be incorporated into your life.
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To learn how to uncover the underlying message in the negative self-talk—and address the root cause of your urge to binge eat—read the full article.
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