Body Image: What It Is and How to Improve It

Body image is how you feel about your body. Most of us feel some kind of way about our bodies, whether that’s liking or disliking our hair, skin, weight, nose, certain body parts — you get the idea.

It’s not just about insecurities, though. Your body image encompasses your overall relationship with your body. It can change over time and be influenced by everything from social media to childhood experiences.

How you view your body can greatly affect your self-esteem, confidence, and overall mental health.

Below, we’ll dive into more detail on what body image is, why it matters, and how you can improve your body image to feel better in your skin.

So, what is body image, exactly? Body image is your thoughts and feelings about your body and appearance. These thoughts and feelings can be positive, negative, or neutral, and you might find they change over time or in different circumstances.

Different things can affect body image, such as:

• How you physically look

• Psychological characteristics, like perfectionism or low self-esteem

• External factors — think cultural beauty standards, media representation of ideal bodies, filters on social media apps, childhood experiences, etc.

Having a positive or negative body image can greatly affect your emotional well-being and mental health.

Negative body image — aka body dissatisfaction or body insecurity — is linked to:

• Decreased quality of life

• Eating disorders

• Depression

• Suicidal ideation

Research shows that body dissatisfaction is higher in women than men, and women say they’d invest more time into achieving their ideal appearance.

Body image isn’t just about whether you like or dislike your body, though. We all have a few insecurities, after all, even if we have a positive overall body image.

It’ll be different for everyone, but signs of a positive body image (aka body satisfaction or positive self-image) can include:

• Appreciating the beauty and functionality of your body

• Focusing on what you like about your body and not what you think are your imperfections

• Not paying much attention to external factors that could affect your body image (think media ideals or comments about your appearance)

• Taking care of your body

On the flip side, signs of a negative body image include:

• Having low self-esteem

• Not wanting to be around other people

• Constantly comparing yourself to others

• Obsessing over what you eat or how much you exercise

• Disordered eating

• Spending lots of time trying to improve your physical appearance

• Frequently weighing yourself or checking your reflection in the mirror

Body positivity can mean many things. It generally refers to feeling good in and about your body — no matter your size, shape, weight, or how you look compared to societal ideals.

You might have also heard of body acceptance. It’s not about having the “perfect” body — we all know that doesn’t exist — but accepting your body for how it looks right now, even if there are a few things you don’t like about it.

You might follow some body-positive social media accounts that share a wide range of bodies and appearances that are all deemed, as they should be, beautiful and worthy. Appreciating these role models can help boost your own self-image.

Body Positivity vs. Body Neutrality

Body neutrality can also refer to a few different things. It tends to focus on what your body can do, rather than what it looks like.

If you’re trying to foster body neutrality, you’d try to think less about your appearance and whether you like or dislike it and more about your body’s functionality.

In short:

• Body positivity. Loving how your body looks, no matter its size or shape.

• Body neutrality. Appreciating what your body does without giving much thought to its appearance.

Body positivity can be a great thing, but it can still cause self-esteem issues as it continues to focus on how you look. You may find that body neutrality helps you build a better relationship with your body and, therefore, better mental health.

Now you know the nuts and bolts of body image, it’s time to do something about it. Your body image isn’t set in stone, so you can work on improving it and fostering body positivity or body neutrality.

Here’s what to do.

1. Rethink How You Use Social Media

Social media can lead to body image issues — although you might have already guessed that one.

A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of 43 studies found that viewing images of unattainable beauty ideals on social media leads to increased body dissatisfaction in young people. This was even more true when people compared their own appearance to these images.

If you find yourself following accounts that promote unrealistic beauty standards or just make you feel bad, hit unfollow or mute.

You can also:

• Follow body positivity accounts to expose yourself to a wide range of body types

• Follow accounts that interest you that have nothing to do with appearance

• Cut down on social media use altogether (research shows limiting it to an hour a day could improve body image)

We’ve covered more ways to use social media for better mental health.

3. Focus on What Your Body Can Do

To foster body neutrality, focus on all the things your body can do. That doesn’t just mean impressive physical feats like running marathons or climbing mountains — although, certainly throw it on the list if you’ve done one of those.

Think about how your body allows you to walk, swim, dance, garden, play with your kids, carry all your grocery bags inside in one go, etc.

4. Exercise Regularly

Exercise has many health benefits, of course, but it can also help you feel better in your body. This isn’t about reaching or maintaining a certain body weight or size, though.

Engage in physical activities you enjoy. This could be:

• Running

• Hiking

• Cycling

• Dancing

• Pickleball

• Rock climbing

Feeling like your fitness is improving and focusing on what your body can do are some aspects of exercise that can boost your body image. If you’re on a weight loss journey, focus on how exercise is helping improve your health rather than making you look a certain way.

5. Practice Yoga

Looking for one exercise to do in particular? Yoga could be it.

In one study, young women who practiced yoga for 10 weeks experienced lower self-objectification and more embodiment than a control group who didn’t practice yoga.

Essentially, they focused less on their appearance and more on what their bodies did. This led to more appreciation and compassion for their bodies.

Sign up for a class or try following some online yoga videos at home to get started.

6. Engage in Positive Self-Talk

This one can be tricky, but try to minimize negative self-talk. If you catch yourself criticizing your appearance or comparing yourself to someone else, try softly pivoting your thoughts in a more positive direction.

Think about the aspects of your body you like and work on giving yourself plenty of love and compassion. If positive self-talk doesn’t come naturally to you, try making a gratitude list or doing positive affirmations in the mirror.

Self-compassion can help you appreciate and accept your body just the way it is. Know that everyone has something they don’t like about themselves, but this doesn’t need to define you or get in the way of living a happy, confident life.

7. Question and Distance Yourself from Beauty Ideals

Try to look critically at images in the media that promote an idealized body size, body shape, or look.

Adverts, magazines, reality shows, and influencers can promote unhealthy bodies or equate one type of body (usually thin and flawless) as better than another.

Recognizing these harmful media images can help minimize how much they impact your own body image and sense of worth.

You can also reduce your exposure to these images and swap them out for healthy body images.

8. Take Care of Your Body

Again, this one isn’t about your weight or looking a certain way. But you may feel more confident and content in your body when it’s feeling its best.

So, try to:

• Get enough sleep

• Eat nutritious foods

• Drink enough water

• Keep your stress levels in check

• Exercise regularly

Beyond the basics, make time for self-care, spend time with loved ones, and do hobbies and activities you enjoy.

9. Reach Out to a Therapist

A therapist or psychiatry specialist can help you work on body image concerns and address mental health issues — like anxiety, depression, or body dysmorphic disorder — that may be contributing to or caused by body dissatisfaction.

One way they may do this is through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT focuses on identifying negative thought patterns and working to replace those thoughts with positive ones.

Your therapist may use self-monitoring, exposure exercises, or other behavioral change techniques to help you think, feel, and act differently toward your body.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of an eating disorder like anorexia, reach out to a healthcare provider, contact the free National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline, or take the National Eating Disorders Association screening assessment to see if you could benefit from support.

It’s normal to have a few insecurities or feel self-conscious every now and again. But know that you can work on feeling better in your body if a poor body image gets you down daily.

Just like any other relationship, maintaining a good relationship with your body takes time and ongoing work. So give yourself plenty of self-compassion along the way.

As they say: Your appearance is the least interesting thing about you. You should also try to focus on everything your body can do, and think about everything you are as a person.

Kind, smart, hardworking, creative. Think about your achievements, your values, your most impressive stories. All of this can help you develop more self-worth outside of what your body looks like.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.