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