There’s lots of talk about how to end negative self-talk these days, especially when it comes to body positivity. It might be hard to believe that it’s possible to “flip the switch” but I promise, it can happen.

It doesn’t require hours of meditation or time spent journaling all of the things you love about your body– which can seem impossible and actually lead to further negativity if you’re really struggling. Just follow these five steps, and flip the switch.

Here’s how…

1) You need to recognize any negative self-talk that might be happening. ​We can’t fix something if we don’t what’s broken. Negative self-talk becomes so ingrained in our poor little brains that we don’t even notice we’re doing it.

It may require a bit of concentration, but you need to tune into your thoughts and words. Not noticing the thoughts? Maybe. But I bet you notice the feeling, and the action that follows.

When you get that feeling in the pit of your stomach that makes you want to hide, stop and notice the thought behind it. “I look awful.” “I hate my bat wings.” “My cellulite is gross.” Sound familiar? Those are the thoughts you need to stop and notice.

2) Acknowledge your thought, accept it as your way of thinking because that’s what you’ve been conditioned to think/believe due to social “norms” — or whoever taught you to think/feel/behave that way.

Know that it’s okay to have these thoughts, it’s not okay to let them affect the way you feel.

Beating yourself up for the thought is no more productive than having the thought itself. So if you start to tell yourself it’s bad to have these thoughts, DON’T.

Your thoughts are just thoughts, they don’t have to define you– that’s why we move to step three.

3) Remind yourself that you are not perfect, and know that that’s okay. Remind yourself that no one is. To expect perfection is to expect failure. AND DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS! Plain and simple, you don’t know their truth, and their    XYZ    has absolutely no bearing on your value or worth.

4) Flip the switch. Take a moment to acknowledge something your body did for you today. It could be something as grand as completing a hardcore workout, or as simple as bending over to pick up your child…or an ice cube off the floor, so you didn’t slip and fall!

5) Sit with that for a moment. “My body let me _________.” (kick some ass, love my child, not die) The not dying part is reason enough for me to love my body every day, ice cube or no ice cube!

The fact is that our bodies are our vessel for life. Without them we wouldn’t be alive. 

To me, that is reason enough to love, honor, and care for our bodies with gratitude every day.

I’ve got rolls, cellulite, large wobbly thighs, and more. But those bits don’t prevent me from living my life. I may not care to wear a bikini on the beach but that has nothing to do with how much I love and appreciate my body.  I choose to rock a pair of swim trunks and a tankini top while running in the sand, jumping waves, and going from a sitting to standing position while holding a sandy toddler. Which are all things I couldn’t even imagine doing 8 years ago at 300+ pounds.

I love my body because it allows me to live the life I want to live. 

Even if you aren’t able to do the things you want to do in your body right now, it doesn’t mean you won’t, it just means, not yet. Diet and exercise are important parts of living a happy, healthy lifestyle, but that’s not where it starts. It starts by loving yourself and your body.

So what can you love about your body right now? 

Share this post. And tell us something your body has done for you today!