Body image and growth mindset are deeply intertwined. Negative body image can cause and maintain growth mindset, and growth mindset frequently worsens how we feel about our bodies.
How Negative Body Image Drives Growth Mindset
- Chronic dissatisfaction with physical appearance depletes psychological resources
- Body shame — a particularly painful form of shame — directly drives growth mindset
- Comparison of body to social standards is a primary growth mindset trigger
- Body image concerns often involve the same negative self-evaluation patterns as growth mindset
How Growth Mindset Affects Body Image
Growth Mindset 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 Growth Mindset 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 growth mindset
- Therapy: CBT and ACT effectively address both body image and growth mindset