Honoring Self-Love Month in January
Happy New Year! Time to make a bunch of unreasonable and unrealistic goals that end up making me feel worse about ourselves! *extremely loud incorrect buzzer sound*
When I learned January is Self-Love month, I sort of giggled. Whoever minted that the theme of this month knew exactly what they were doing. During this time of year, we are surrounded by narratives of making great change aimed at self-improvement, and so much of that has to do with our bodies. January may be officially Self-Love month, but I usually feel sad about how many people openly yet implicitly talk about disgust and disappointment with their bodies.
Most of us have been soaked in these narratives too. Through media, eavesdropping, or daily conversations, weight loss and body negativity feels like a “neutral” and obvious topic for small-talk. This fills me with rage, especially when I think the billion-dollar industry of diet culture and its ties to racism.
In my search to find resources for myself and clients to combat these messages, I have been somewhat dissatisfied with many existing ones for a variety of reasons. Some rely too heavily on assumptions in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and individualistic ways of thinking and some still use “health” as a determinant for progress or success. I appreciate Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) and their willingness to explicitly name fatphobia and anti-fat bias as serious and exigent issues
Here are some fat-positive, body-embracing reminders that I use:
The physical appearance of my body does not stop me from engaging in activities I enjoy.
The physical appearance of other people’s bodies do not dictate their worth in comparison to my own.
I engage in body movement that feels rewarding and exciting for me, and not as self-punishment.
I eat nourishing and delicious foods without policing my calorie count or assigning them moral value.
I wear what is comfortable, expressive and/or exciting to me and encourages others to do the same.
I treat everyone with love and respect, irrespective of their “health.”
I advocate for the deconstruction of fatphobic narratives when I can.
I do not praise or shame people for changes in their body shape.
If you have helpful reminders that folks could hear during Self-Love month (or all year round), please share them!