Body image and cognitive reappraisal are deeply intertwined. Negative body image can cause and maintain cognitive reappraisal, and cognitive reappraisal frequently worsens how we feel about our bodies.
How Negative Body Image Drives Cognitive Reappraisal
- Chronic dissatisfaction with physical appearance depletes psychological resources
- Body shame — a particularly painful form of shame — directly drives cognitive reappraisal
- Comparison of body to social standards is a primary cognitive reappraisal trigger
- Body image concerns often involve the same negative self-evaluation patterns as cognitive reappraisal
How Cognitive Reappraisal Affects Body Image
Cognitive Reappraisal can worsen body image through reduced self-care motivation, changes in appetite and weight, and a general negative lens that extends to physical self-perception.
Addressing Body Image and Cognitive Reappraisal Together
- Body neutrality: Not requiring positive body feelings, just reduction of hostility
- Body functionality focus: What your body does vs. how it looks
- Intuitive eating: Reconnecting with hunger and satisfaction cues disrupted by cognitive reappraisal
- Therapy: CBT and ACT effectively address both body image and cognitive reappraisal