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