My Run-through with a Body Image Therapy Worksheet
Alright, so I decided to give one of those body image therapy worksheets a try the other day. Found something online, seemed straightforward enough. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting miracles, just thought, “Why not? Can’t hurt to look at this stuff.”
So, I printed it out. Sat down with a cup of tea, kinda stared at it for a bit. The first part asked me to identify thoughts I have about my body. That was… well, easier than I’d like to admit. Just started writing down all the usual critical stuff that pops into my head.
Then it moved onto challenging those thoughts. Okay, this part got trickier. It asked things like: “Is this thought 100% true all the time?” or “What evidence contradicts this thought?”. I had to really stop and think. Like, really think. I wrote down some counterarguments, but felt a bit like I was just trying to convince myself.
There was another section I found interesting, focused on appreciation. It wasn’t about liking how my body looked, but what it does for me. So, I started listing things:
- My legs carry me around all day.
- My hands let me type this, make food, pet my dog.
- My lungs keep breathing without me even thinking about it.
Stuff like that. Felt a little cheesy at first, gotta say. But as I kept writing, it did kinda shift my focus. I spend so much time picking apart the appearance, I forget all the actual work this body does.
Next up was identifying triggers. What situations or comments make me feel bad about my body? Wrote down a few things there – mirrors sometimes, certain clothes, scrolling through social media (big surprise, right?). The worksheet suggested thinking about coping strategies for those moments. I jotted down ideas like taking deep breaths, reminding myself of the ‘body function’ list, or just stepping away from the trigger.
Finally, it asked about setting realistic goals. Not like “lose X pounds,” but more like “practice challenging one negative thought per day” or “spend 5 minutes focusing on body appreciation.” I picked a couple of small, doable things.
By the time I finished filling the whole thing out, I wouldn’t say I was magically cured or anything. But, honestly, just the act of sitting down and methodically working through those questions made me pause. It forced me to articulate the negative stuff, but also to actively search for different perspectives. It felt like untangling a messy knot, even if just a little bit. It was a process, definitely took some mental effort, but yeah, felt like I actually did something proactive for a change.
