Body Neutrality
Body neutrality: This word might be new to you. And that somewhat excites me because that means I get to teach you about it!
Body neutrality is a movement that started around 2015 that in some ways grew in response to the body positivity movement. The premise of body neutrality is a shift away from focusing on the body’s appearance and towards what the body can do. For many people who struggle with chronic body negativity, body positivity can seem like a really far stretch. This makes sense given that they are two opposite ends of the spectrum. Body neutrality is more of a middle ground (hence the word, “neutral”), emphasizing body acceptance and encouraging us to think less about ‘image’ and more about the qualities that make us who we are. In essence, it’s about taking a more holistic view of the self and embracing an inherent sense of worthiness, one that is not contingent on beauty or looks.
I have learned a lot about body neutrality from Anuschka Rees, author of the book Beyond Beautiful. She writes, “The goal of body-neutrality is to dial down the enormous significance that’s being given to physical attractiveness in our society. It goes beyond body-positivity in that it’s not just about pushing back on the specific beauty ideals of our time, but on all aspects of society that continue to promote beauty as essential, consequently and the ultimate accomplishment, and a person’s appearance as indicative of their worth.”
In essence, body neutrality is like a permission slip to opt-out of the pressure that the body positivity movement sometimes puts on people “loving their body.” Listen, I want us all to love our bodies. That’s the end goal, the long game (if you want it to be). And if that is your goal and if that is what you’re working towards, I’m cheering you on big time. And if that feels impossible, I think that body neutrality is a fantastic start towards body acceptance and respect.
I think it’s pretty unrealistic to think that we can and will love our bodies all the time. It’s normal to have days where you struggle to like, let alone love, things like wrinkles, curves, and cellulite. And here is where I think body neutrality is really helpful. Sure, I may not ‘love’ these things but what I can choose to focus on instead is how amazing it is that my body sustains me and gives me life. I can focus on how the strength in my legs allows me to go on hikes versus criticizing them for the way they look. And when I focus on how my legs help me, the way they look becomes less important to me.
I’ve heard it said that body neutrality shifts the focus away from the body, and I don’t think that’s entirely true. It actually does focus on the body but in a different way than the body positive movement does. The body-positive movement says, “I am beautiful (or insert a positive statement about looks), therefore worthy” whereas the body neutrality movement says, “I am worthy and that has nothing to do with my appearance.” Body neutrality is just more holistic in the sense that it focuses more on positive feelings about the Self coming from things like achievements, personality traits, strengths, abilities, and relationships.
A book just came out that I think is a must-read and it speaks to the body neutrality movement. I’ve been following its authors for a while now on Instagram and deeply respect their work. The book is called, “More Than A Body: Your Body is an Instrument, Not an Ornament.” I’m pretty much obsessed with everything Lindsay and Lexie (both PhD’s) say so it’s hard to just highlight one of their thoughts, but I think this one really sums up their message: “Positive body image isn’t believing your body looks good, it’s knowing your body is good, regardless of how it looks.” And just for a quick aside, these sisters are badass feminists and speak to the issue of women’s bodies being valued more than women themselves, which is a topic for a separate blog post. But just know that their words are fire in the best way. If you’re not going to order the book, at least check out their work on Instagram (@beauty_redefined).
Before I leave you with some awesome affirmations, I want to speak to an important nuance when it comes to body neutrality. This movement is so helpful for so many people but can be somewhat harmful to those who are disabled or have a chronic illness. For people who are differently-abled, it might be triggering to think about what their body can do for them. It might bring up feelings about how it has let them down. It might amplify feelings of sadness, anger, or shame. This, of course, is going to vary person by person and if body neutrality doesn’t help you feel more at home in your body then find what works and honor it.
Body Neutral affirmations:
I am so much more than my appearance
My worth isn’t dependent on my appearance or look
My body is good
It’s normal for bodies to change
I don’t have to love the way I look to treat my body with respect
My body sustains and supports me
I am grateful to have a body
I am worth caring for
Regardless of whether I like or dislike my body, I can still treat it with respect
My arms allow me to hug the people I love
My happiness isn’t determined by my looks