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