How to Shift from ‘Body Positivity’ to ‘Body Neutrality’ — and Why You Should

Hard on the heels of every new year comes a wave of resolutions focused on self-improvementSome people resolve to break certain habits, like swearing or spending too much time on social media. Others plan to work toward better emotional health by keeping a daily journal or practicing better communication skillMany resolutions, however, focus on physical health: get more sleep, drink more water, eat more fruits and vegetables, make time for exercise.

Plenty of people also look into the mirror, feel dissatisfied with their reflection, and decide to make some changes so they can better embrace self-lovWhat you see in the mirror is just one aspect of your identity. It’s possible to embrace and accept yourself as you are even if you don’t actually love your bodIn fact, your body doesn’t even have to enter the conversation. The body neutrality movement rests on this exact concept.

So, what’re the basicYour body contains all the vital organs that keep you alive and functioning. It also contains your mind, heart, and spirit — aspects that drive personality and self-identity, making you the person you areBody neutrality promotes acceptance of your body as it is, encouraging you to recognize its abilities and nonphysical characteristics over your appearancThis movement aims to decentralize the body as an object by challenging the myth that the way you look drives your worth. It also creates room to step back from body conversations in general.

Taking a neutral perspective toward your body means moving away from the idea that you have to cultivate love for your body or make an effort to love it every dayIt focuses instead on what you do with your body and how you think and feeThere’s nothing wrong with loving your body. Many people do, even when they consider themselves imperfect or less than beautiful.

Other people might hate their bodies so intensely that they devote most of their energy toward changing their appearance and struggle to feel at peace or enjoy daily lifeBodies feature all manner of unique characteristics. Your life experiences can further change the way your body looksA skin or health condition could affect your appearance. Maybe you’ve experienced an illness or injury that permanently changed your body or limited your movement. Perhaps you simply wish you had different featureAny of these reasons can keep you from loving your body, even when you make a sincere effort to muster up this loveAccepting your body and loving it aren’t mutually exclusive ideas, but body neutrality offers a firm middle ground between body hate and body lovIn short, body neutrality says, “You may not always love your body, but you can still live happily and well.”