What is Body Checking?
It might feel normal to pass by a store window and check out your reflection. But if you’re noticing more than simply adjusting your scarf or hat, you might be falling into body checking.
Body checking is any way you monitor your body’s appearance. This might look like:
- Pinching or pulling at skin to temporarily manipulate how your body looks.
- Examining your stomach in the mirror while trying to “suck in” as much as possible.
- Stepping on the scale often.
- Taking photos of your body constantly, swearing they will be your “before” photos.
- Comparing your body now to one you had as a teenager or to others around you.
You might even notice that these habits become even more frequent when you are stressed, feeling sad, or even just about to go on vacation! The issue with body checking is that you’ll never feel like you are measuring up to whatever you’re hoping for because it is a way of constantly critiquing your body. The diet industry doesn’t help us at all! Even if it changes its language—now we hear words like “toned”—it is a measuring stick that most people can’t live up to.
Instead, when you find the urge to body check try and catch yourself. This is the first step of breaking the habit (awareness). Next, you might swap out the critical dialogue in your mind when you body check for something more neutral like: “that’s not a helpful thought.”
Little-by-little body checking will become less of a habit, and you’ll be able to make mental space for other, more important, things in your life! In our next blog post, we’ll be talking how to keep moving forward and work on liking what you see in the mirror!
💛 Your peace awaits.
