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