Everyone has insecurities and body image issues. This might be a problem from time to time, or it might be something that you deal with on a day-to-day basis.
Whatever your insecurity, learning to feel good about yourself is a journey all of us have to take- and it can be so hard when you’re stuck in the wrong mentality.
In this post, I want to discuss easy mindset swaps to help with your body image.
Changing your mentality can help you feel confident about your body, thinking about yourself positively and loving your body as it is.
In this blog post, I’ve put together 4 body image mindset swaps. Let me know all your top tips in the comments!
1. Instead of “You don’t understand”, try “let me help you understand”
It can be hard for family and friends to know how to support you when you’re experiencing body image issues- so tell them!
Instead of getting angry and frustrated when you’re having issues, tell others how to approach these issues with you. If you don’t want to talk about it, tell them. If you need reassurance, tell them. Or if you need some help, tell them.
Try saying “let me help you understand” to those in your life, and swap your mindset to accept help from family and friends who know how to support you.
2. Try aiming for “healthy skin” instead of “clear skin”
This is an idea I learned from two online skin-positive accounts, Spotty Little Thing and Barefaced Leah.
I love skin-positive social media accounts, and they’ve completely changed my outlook on my skin and my acne journey.
Instead of focusing on “clear skin” and the number of break-outs on your face, arms or back- focus on whether your skin is healthy or not.
Try products that make your skin feel healthy, plump and fresh- and don’t forget to moisturise your skin when it needs it.
3. Try “How can I help myself feel better” instead of “how can I make myself look better”
You need to feel good about yourself because let’s be honest, you’re never going to love every single thing about the way you look on every single day.
It’s so much better to change your mentality than to change how you look. How you feel about your body will change so much over your life, so try to change how you feel about your body and implement a healthy body image mindset swap.
There’s nothing wrong with doing things to meet your goals when it comes to your body, but feeling happier is all about that mentality that you want to feel good, not look good.
4. Try “progress isn’t linear” instead of “I should have improved more by now”
When it comes to your skin or body, progress certainly isn’t linear. Losing weight or trying to make your skin healthier is never a linear process, and you need to make sure you get into that mindset.
You might have up days and down days- and that’s okay. Find different ways to measure your progress, such as how you feel about yourself- and put less pressure on the physical progress you think you can see in the mirror.
Do you have any mindset swaps that can help with body image? What do you think of my body image mindset swaps? How do you deal with any body image issues?
Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below 🙂
Happy reading x
Not-So-Modern Girl 
Absolutely love this post! I love the way of thinking about your skin, healthy rather than clear – I’ll be applying this to my everyday thoughts from now on. Thank you so much for sharing lovely Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
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Thank you so much! Yes I think mindset changes can really help with body image issues, and I’m glad I could help. Thank you x
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Love this ! The slight shift in words makes such a difference !
I know using “healthy skin” instead of “clear skin” made such a huge difference in the way I felt about myself !
Thank you for sharing !
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I agree 🙂 I’m so glad it’s helped you x
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4 small but incredibly effective ways to change your course of thinking, it’s great! Inever thought about it as healthy skin, I’ve always been put off by the amount of people who have perfect clear skin and knowing I can’t achieve that, it’s frustrating! As long as your skin is healthy, that’s all that matters, I love that! 💚
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Thank you! It was such a game-changer when I heard it online, and I think it’s beneficial for those who do drastic things to clear their skin but actually make it unhealthier in the process. I have the same frustrations, thank you for sharing your thoughts x
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I think everyone has their own insecurities, and I’m glad you’ve found ways to feel happy 🙂
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Thank you Michell!
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*Michelle, sorry
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Love these mindset shifts! The way we speak to ourselves (and others!) is so important and can play a huge subconscious part in how we feel, too! I like the one about skin, I think there’s so many misconceptions around acne or spots being because you’re dirty when that’s far from the case.
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Yes I completely agree, we are far too mean to ourselves sometimes so it’s important to take a step back 🙂 exactly! These misconceptions mean everyone needs to sort out how they think about certain issues x
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It was a nice read. Opposite thoughts bring opposite result
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Thank you 🙂 I agree x
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It is incredible how significant words are and the way we talk to/about ourselves. Even just reading this is a powerful shift into becoming more intentional and supportive with ourselves. I struggle with this so much, my inner dialogue is incredibly negative so I really needed this — thank you!
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I agree Molly, thank you! I completely agree, there’s such an internal shift involved in being nicer to ourselves and others- it can take time but it’s worth investing in. You’ve got this x
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I love these mindset swaps – it’s a great way to be more positive about your body image x
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Thank you Della, I agree 🙂
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I think I needed to read this today. I started a new fitness program a few weeks ago but my progress has been much slower than others. As you say, progress isn’t linear and everyone is different also. Thanks for sharing these great mindset swaps.
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Thank you so much, I’m so glad it helped you feel a little better 🙂 it can be so hard to get into new fitness programs but exactly, progress isn’t linear it’s just hard to remember that sometimes!
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I understand that, it can be tough but it’s important to love your body as it is as well as have goals 🙂 that’s such a good point, healthy should always be the goal x
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This is wonderful for all areas in life. Changing our mindset even in a small way is sometimes the difference between success and failure. Mindset is the first step in accomplishing goals. Loving yourself where you are now assists you in getting where you want to be in the future.
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Thank you! Yes I agree, changing your mindset can be beneficial for a lot of things. Thank you for your kind words 🙂
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I LOVE that advice about saying to someone, “let me help you understand.” I think that’s such a powerful way to improve communication – not just for a healthy body image, but for any type of communication issue.
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Yes I agree, it’s easy to get frustrated, but we need to tell people who love us how to support. Yes very true, it’s important in any relationship x
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These are great suggestions. I love the concept of healthy skin instead of clear skin. My skin is never clear for long but I know its down to hormonal break outs and that my skin is healthy.
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Thank you Kelly! It’s really helped me, those skin-positive accounts are fantastic 🙂 x
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I really found this post a great read. As someone who regularly experiences issues with my self image it’s been great to see alternative ways of thinking.
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Thank you Melanie! I think how you think about yourself is half the battle, and changing your mentality can help x
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I genuinely love the idea of a mindset swap. Especially re skin – I’ve had struggles with acne since being a teen so that one resonated well x
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Thank you! I really struggle with my skin but aiming for healthy skin has definitely helped me feel better, and understanding that progress doesn’t follow a straight route x
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That must be really tough, acne is no-one’s fault and it’s as much about genes than anything else for some people! I’m glad I could help you feel better, and that mindset swap is important for yourself, but also for those around you to understand x
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These are great. It’s amazing how wording can change your overall perspective on things
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Yes it can change your perspective, for sure x
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I love these mindset swaps – especially “How can I help myself feel better” (instead of “look better”). It’s like a gentle nudge/reminder that our own wellbeing is way more important than striving to meet some wild, media-imposed standard for how we think we should look.
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Thank you! Yes I think making sure you feel better is more important than how you look, even though that’s easier said than done 🙂 Yes that’s so true, our wellbeing is so important x
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These are amazing mindset swaps! I have to remember “progress isn’t linear.” When we make these shifts in our mindset it can be so empowering. Thanks so much for sharing!
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Thank you! Progress is very tough because it never seems to follow a straight route, but I’m glad you agree x
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Love this! These slight shifts in words can definitely make such a difference. I think my favourite would definitely be on focusing how to feel better rather than look better – feeling happier in your own skin is so important! Thanks for sharing x
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Yes I think they can make you feel more kind to yourself 🙂 we should always focus on feeling good about ourselves, however we look! Thank you so much x
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The healthy skin one is an outtake I had never thought about! A great post as always Eleanor, will need to work on these positive mindsets.
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Thank you so much Simona 🙂
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Thank you Ruth 🙂 yes we all need to be a bit nicer to ourselves I think, especially when it comes to body image. Wow that’s so kind of you Ruth, those two can be so helpful x
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These are excellent ideas! We often look at things through a negative lens and this is far more positive and thus, better for our mental health. It also acknowledges that these issues can take time to resolve in a positive way, Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you! Yes I think trying to improve the way you think and talk about yourself is a necessary step to understanding your self-worth, and improving your body image. Very true x
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Thank you Alicia, it can definitely be a positive if you work on it- although it is hard to get into that mindset 🙂 Me too, but I’m trying my best with that one x
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I love the post, it’s something we all need to remember. There’s a big difference between taking care of ourselves to improve our wellbeing vs improve our looks!
Corinne x
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Thank you so much Corinne, I agree x
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Thank you! Yes I think it’s a great mindset change 🙂 x
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Very inspiring post! My favorite fashion mantra is that it’s not you, it’s the clothes. Which I know as a personal stylist is true! So no need to push ourselves down unnecessarily xx
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I love that, you’ve got to find that fashion that makes you feel confident 🙂
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OH, this couldn’t have come at a better time! I’ve been experiencing low confidence levels the past month and this month I’ve made it a goal to feel more confident in my own skin. Thanks for sharing x
Lynn | https://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com
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I’m so sorry to hear that, but that sounds like a fantastic goal. It can be easier said than done but confidence and a positive mindset is so important x
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Thank you! I couldn’t agree me, we all need to think positively about ourselves and the world a little more x
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Thank you! I hope your daughter is getting the help and support she needs, it can be so tough dealing with body image issues at any age or time in life, and I appreciate the positive feedback. I hope you both stay safe x
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I love these mindset swaps to make to help with body image, I love the one about aiming for healthy skin instead of clear skin, that’s such a lovely mindset to aim for x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
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That’s my aim too Lucy, it’s so much better than getting stressed about having “perfect skin”. There’s no such thing and we should always be aiming to be healthy, for our bodies and our mental health x
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One thing I noticed as I was reading was that all of these tips can apply not just to body image, but really just about an issue where you’re struggling with confidence, self-doubt, and treating yourself negatively. Having respect for the journey, not just specific results, and focus on the healthy habits and behaviors that make changes, not just the external appearance that comes from them. Great read, thanks for sharing!
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Yes that’s very true, changing your mindset is so important for any issues you’re facing mentally- and the physical image you have of yourself 🙂 thank you for sharing that insight Sam, I agree that focusing on healthy habits (however they come) is so important
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These simple mindset shifts are really great. My favorite one is swapping from how I can make myself look better to feel better. That’s a good one.
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Thank you 🙂 you should always aim to feel better, not look better x
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These are such great tips! I’m struggling with the way my body looks post baby and I needed some of these ideas.
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Thank you 🙂 I’m sorry to hear that, but I know there are a few ways I’m sure you can help yourself feel better x
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Yes, for sure they are!
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Hi Eleanor,
Those are great mindsets to adopt. Especially the one about the importance of feeling good rather than looking good. Ditch vanity, embrace happiness (be happy with, and grateful for, what you have).
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Yes I think as long as you feel happy and healthy, the world is your oyster 🙂
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Wow! Thank you for putting this out there. I feel as if I shouldn’t have my own body image issues but I have since I was 20. I am now much older and time has given me a different perspective, however, there are those moments I look in the mirror and see fat, bags, grey hair…a list that grows. Since meditating I have refocussed my thoughts, and accepted me for who I am, but it is something that persists in life and sometimes when those thoughts occur, usually when I’m cleaning my teeth or something, I give myself a smile. A small thing, but it helps me.
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Thank you for your comment Zac. I completely understand. It’s easier said than done to accept what we see in the mirror sometimes- and it makes sense that as we get older, those issues change. I like the idea of giving yourself that little boost everyday, to actively remind yourself to accept who you are. Thank you for sharing 🙂
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