#ocd does not make you a better activist if anything if makes you a terrible one because it takes the suffering and injustice of others

[goodluckdetective]

Okay a quick note:

Probably not Moral OCD: guilt or distress about suffering in the world when you aren’t facing that suffering yourself

Potentially Moral OCD: deciding that if you don’t spend almost every second reading the news that you do nothing but refresh the news. Taking a second to eat or drink water is unacceptable and every time you do, you rake yourself over the coals for daring to do such a thing. You must eat less next time in penance.

Probably Not Moral OCD: guilt or distress about your consumption habits and their impact on the environment

Potentially Moral OCD: such guilt or distress about your consumption habits that you refuse to throw anything out and begin hoarding items and or refusing to leave your apartment less you hurt the environment more.

Probably Not moral OCD: occasionally feeling bad or guilty about something you did wrong in the past

Potentially Moral OCD: obsessing about something you did wrong or bad in the past and spending hours and hours thinking about all the things like it you did wrong that you neglect basic tasks and functions.

It’s not just guilt. It’s perfectly normal (and mostly a good sign) to feel bad about bad things in the world. It’s feelings of guilt that lead to compulsive actions that do nothing to actually solve the issue you’re guilty about.

[sharnngan]

Body Neutrality — What it Means And Why it’s Important

Self-love | Mental health Body Neutrality — What it Means And Why it’s Important Use this strategy to transform your self-esteem

Photo by Billie on Unsplash

I’ve gained 50+ pounds since the first Toronto lockdown in March of 2020. I wish I could say that I’m thriving in this new body, but that’s not the case. These past 365 days have been hellish for my self-esteem and body image.

I grew up being stick thin; I could eat anything I wanted and not stretch an inch. Throughout University my metabolism started to slow, but Coronavirus has officially thrown my skinny-bod out the window. Now, I’m stuck here, trying to figure out how to not hate myself and the skin I wear.

I recently posted a picture of my legs with all the stretch marks they hold. I asked in the caption for people to send me profiles of body activists they love; the response was overwhelming. After reviewing multiple body activist pages, I realized many of them utilize a similar strategy, that being body neutrality.

I had never heard of the term before, but now I’m a converted fanatic.

The basics

“Body neutrality promotes acceptance of your body as it is, encouraging you to recognize its abilities and nonphysical characteristics over your appearance” (Healthline).

The premise of body neutrality is to see your body as a system versus an aesthetic. This strategy pushes you to focus on what your body does for you. Here are a few examples of body neutral statements: your body preserves and exerts energy, your body keeps you alive, your body allows you to explore the world and capture experiences.

Body neutrality is the firm middle ground between self-love and self-hate.

Living Better Lives

The architect of this movement is unclear, however, researchers note that body neutrality started to be consistently searched on the internet in 2015. One of the first supporters and preachers of this strategy was Anne Poirier.

Anne, a wellness and intuitive eating coach, created a body neutrality workshop — a program designed to help women find peace in their bodies. Her workshop was a huge hit and is given credit for turning this idea into a worldwide conversation.

Body positivity vs. body neutrality

Body neutrality varies from body positivity because the movement doesn’t promote loving and accepting your body 24/7, but rather, it promotes seeing your body in a neutral and logical light.

When I first started researching how to improve my self-esteem, I discovered body positivity: “body positivity is a social movement focused on empowering individuals no matter their physical weight or size […] The movement advocates the acceptance of all bodies regardless of physical ability, size, gender, race, or appearance” (Wikipedia).

The Curve Confessions

At first, I thought body positivity was helpful; I would only say positive affirmations about myself, every time I had a bad thought about my body, I would push it away, anytime someone would comment on my weight gain I would clap back with “I’m stunning, no matter my size”… Then I had a terrible self-esteem week.

During these days where I felt disgusted towards my new stretch marks and rolls, my feelings of guilt deepened in complexity. Not only did I feel like shit for gaining weight, but I also felt like shit for not loving myself, like all these influencers said I should.

I’m not saying body positivity is wrong, I’m just saying it didn’t work for me. As a Virgo with OCD, logical lines of thinking are more productive in my personal opinion.

Does body neutrality make change?

Several professionals support that body neutrality is the best strategy for improving self-esteem.

Health Psychologist Bobby Wegner is one of those individuals, who believes that body neutrality has a positive correlation to decreased anxiety and better mood.

Alison Stone, a New York-based Psychotherapist advises that body neutrality has a deep connection to mindfulness, and for this reason, the movement can help reduce stress, emotional reactivity, and rumination.

In an interview with Huff Post, Alison explained that when we spend less time focused on our body’s aesthetic, we acquire more time to do things that are beneficial to our health. She also advocated that though feeling confidence and love for our bodies is important, it’s unrealistic to feel this way at all times, especially in the world we live in today.

Elizabeth Wassenaar, a medical director at the Eating Recovery Center, is also a supporter of body neutrality. She believes that this movement motivates intuitive eating and living, which are extremely beneficial to health and fitness.

In a conversation with The Insider, she commented, “[…] diet and fitness plans that require restriction or pushing your body past its boundaries aren’t body neutral. Those plans force a person to hold the diet or fitness plan’s specific rules above their body’s natural cues for hunger or physical activity.”

Because of this reality, dieting and over-exercising are not sustainable and are dangerous. Body neutrality transforms eating and exercising back into simple and enjoyable experiences, in turn leading to individuals regaining self-esteem and getting into better shape.

Body neutrality is the strategy that helped me lessen my negative self-talk and improve my self-esteem. Before implementing body neutrality, all I could think about was how to make quick cash so I could afford liposuction. I would cry daily, refuse to wear real clothes, and would say terrible things about myself in front of friends and family.

Now, I rock it at the beach — braless, in spaghetti strap tops and biker shorts! I shake my butt at my partner all the time (probably too much), and my self-deprecating humor has decreased substantially. Whether I’m having a ‘good’ body image day or a ‘bad’ body image day, my overall mindset stays the same — I am so grateful for my fierce body, which has hurdled countless obstacles to keep me on this earth! I never thought that feeling ‘neutral’ about my body would lead to living a more content life.

Body neutrality has been notably more effective for me (and countless others) than body positivity. There is science and professional opinion to back body neutrality’s power, so let’s give this movement the attention it deserves!

Body Neutrality — What it Means And Why it’s Important was originally published in P.S. I Love You on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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