What to Do if Summer Sparks Negative Body Image

Rear view of group of women with different body type in underwear standing together on white background. Cropped shot of diverse females in lingerie with their arms around each other.

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Ah, summer. Time for backyard barbecues, beach weekends, and fruity drinks by the pool. But more time spent in shorts and bathing suits isn't always fun and games for some people. It certainly has the potential to bring out negative body image feelings, self-doubt, and low self-esteem.

If this sounds like something you struggle with, we break down several strategies to help you navigate negative body image during the summer months so you can feel confident and foster feelings of self-acceptance.

What is Negative Body Image?

Negative body image occurs when an individual feels dissatisfied with the way they look. This often brings on feelings of distress, isolation, and a desire to change their body. Negative body image is also related to your perception of how your body looks to you and others, which may be different than how you actually look.

It is also deeply rooted in culturally driven beliefs about what bodies should look like and what body types are acceptable. Sadly, negative body image can develop starting at a very young age. Research shows that children as young as elementary school age show signs of body dissatisfaction.

Social media influence often makes matters worse, sending messages of strict beauty ideals and unrealistic body standards. It is easy to compare yourself to images you see on social media, especially when your peers are following similar trends and ideals. Internalization of an ideal body and negative body image can lead to greater issues in mental health, self-esteem, and overall well-being.

Body dissatisfaction also contributes to a number of physically and emotionally damaging habits including restrictive eating patterns and overexercising. Additionally, negative body image is associated with mood disorders, body dysmorphic disorder, relationship problems, and self-harm tendencies.

Recognizing Summer Triggers

As summer approaches, we may hear messages about how to get a "bikini body" or "beach body" and how to eat to prepare for summer vacations, weddings, and pool parties. It's difficult to escape these social media messages and even harder not to compare ourselves and feel like you can be doing something more.

As the weather gets warmer, the pants and sweaters go away and shorts and T-shirts make their debut. Increased body exposure is certainly a trigger for many people, perpetuating negative body image feelings.

Explore your own personal triggers for negative body image and begin to notice when they come up for you throughout the summer. Bringing awareness to what situations, clothing, or social media messages affect your body image and self-perception is the first step in helping you find solutions to mitigate those triggers.

How to Cultivate Self-Acceptance and Body Positivity

There are several strategies for practicing self-acceptance and fostering a positive body image mindset. You may see a lot of messages on social media about body positivity. While feeling positive about our body is an excellent goal, it might feel very far away for you.

Embrace Body Neutrality

Try starting with body neutrality. Body neutrality shifts the perspective of your body from hatred, disgust, or dislike, to appreciation and respect. Just like you can respect another person without liking them, the same idea applies to your body.

Try practicing speaking kindly to yourself and your body. Are there parts of your body you are grateful for? Your heart for pumping blood to your organs and extremities, your lungs for helping you breathe, and your digestive system for breaking down the food you eat into usable nutrients to keep you alive.

We spend so much time picking apart our bodies when it works so hard for us. Practicing some gratitude toward all the amazing things it does can help quiet the self-hatred. Writing down one positive thing about your body daily in a journal is one way to move toward body neutrality.

Appreciate Your Body

Another way to move toward more self-acceptance is to remember that you are more than a body. Try focusing on things you like about yourself that have nothing to do with your appearance.

Does your compassion make you a great friend? Does your creativity help you come up with bright ideas at work? You have so many amazing internal qualities that give you worth beyond your appearance. If you have trouble thinking of these qualities, ask a friend or family member you trust to help you.

Choose Comfortable Clothes

It may seem simplistic, but wear comfortable clothes that fit you. When you are wearing uncomfortable clothes or are trying to squeeze into a size that is too small, you're likely going to think about your body even more, causing more distress. Similarly, if we wear clothes that are too big and baggy we also wont feel our best. Take time to find your "just right" feel.

Instead, take your comfort into your own hands. Choose clothes that you feel good in so you can spend your time thinking about other things aside from your body.

Surround Yourself with Supportive Communities

This work is not easy to do alone, so seek support from friends, family, or online communities that are more accepting of all bodies. Find people who make you feel valued for your internal qualities, rather than your outward appearance.

It also can be valuable sharing your challenging experiences with others and coming together as a community can help you feel less alone in this process. Try seeking out individuals and communities of diverse body types as well. The more you are exposed to all different bodies, the easier it becomes to accept that all bodies are unique and isn't what defines your worth.

Why You Need to Practice Self-Care

Practicing self-care on a regular basis is important for overall mental health as well as promoting a positive body image. Taking care of yourself, doing things you enjoy, and showing compassion toward yourself all foster a positive body image mindset.

Self-care can look different to different people. It also looks different each day depending on your needs. Social media may make self-care look like spa days and manicures, and while that is one way to practice self-care, there are much simpler ways as well.

Simple Ways to Practice Self-Care

  • Rest, relaxation, and stress reduction are imperative for calming down your nervous system and helping you feel more in tune with your body to ultimately improve your relationship with your body. Setting aside even 5 or 10 minutes a day to prioritize breathing exercises or meditation is an excellent way to start practicing self-care.
  • Additionally, engaging in enjoyable physical activity and moving your body can help foster gratitude for what your body can do for you. Try appreciating and celebrating all of the amazing things your body can do, rather than focusing on the things it can't.
  • Honoring your body with nourishing meals is another important act of self-care. Supplying your body with balanced and nutritious meals and snacks improves mood, increases energy levels, and can help you feel like you are doing something to care for your body.
  • Practicing mindfulness and stress reduction techniques also can be helpful in fostering a more positive relationship with your body. Bringing awareness to the way you speak about your body can help you reframe negative thoughts and feelings. Becoming more mindful and practicing gratitude and self-compassion is a key step in healing your negative body image.

Importance of Media Literacy and Managing Social Media

People are inundated with daily harmful images and messages emphasizing thinness or ways to attain the "ideal body." Seeing these messages daily can definitely be a hit to your body image and self-esteem. It is essential to counteract these messages with more positive and helpful ones in order to take steps toward a better relationship with your body.

First, curate your social media feed to better control which images pop up when you scroll. If you notice yourself triggered or tense when you see a particular account, press the mute or unfollow button. At the same time, diversify your social media feed to include a wider range of body shapes and sizes.

Find dietitians, therapists, and personal trainers that support body acceptance and promote body positivity. Additionally, it is imperative to use a critical eye with media messaging and know that many posts are filtered or touched up. Keep in mind that anyone promoting something that seems like a quick fix or too good to be true means it probably is.

When to Seek Professional Help

Don't be afraid of seeking professional help and getting additional support to overcome your negative body image and related mental health concerns. There are therapists and registered dietitians specifically trained in this area.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is most frequently used to address body image and helps individuals reframe their distorted thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that contribute to negative body image. When looking for providers, seek out therapists or dietitians who specialize in eating disorders and body image concerns.

If you or a loved one are coping with an eating disorder, contact the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Helpline for support at 1-800-931-2237

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.

The summertime kicks up many complicated emotions about body image—especially with social media messaging and more skin exposure. This time of year is as good a time as any to address negative body image and seek support to foster self-acceptance and body positivity.

Practice daily gratitude, self-compassion, and focusing on what your body can do. Every body is unique and worthy of love and acceptance. Be kind to yourself. This journey toward positive body image is an ongoing process and you are not alone in your experience.

3 Sources
Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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  3. Lewer M, Kosfelder J, Michalak J, Schroeder D, Nasrawi N, Vocks S. Effects of a cognitive-behavioral exposure-based body image therapy for overweight females with binge eating disorder: A pilot studyJ Eat Disord. 2017;5:43. doi:10.1186/s40337-017-0174-y

By Rebecca Jaspan, MPH, RD
Rebecca Jaspan is a registered dietitian specializing in anorexia, binge eating disorder, and bulimia, as well as disordered eating and orthorexia.