Healing from the Shame Around Your Body

Body shame doesn’t usually start with you. It’s something many of us learn—quietly, subtly, and over time. Maybe it started when someone commented on your weight as a child. Maybe it grew in locker rooms, on social media, or during doctor’s visits that made you feel more like a number than a human being. Over time, that shame can settle into your nervous system, making it hard to feel at home in your own skin.

If you struggle to look in the mirror, avoid certain clothes, or constantly compare yourself to others, know this: you're not alone. And healing is possible—even if it feels far away right now.

What Body Shame Actually Feels Like

Body shame isn’t just about disliking the way you look.

It can show up as:

• Constant self-criticism or body checking

• Avoiding photos or social events

• Feeling unworthy of love, attention, or rest

• Equating your value with your appearance

• An underlying sense of being “too much” or “not enough”

This shame doesn’t have to be loud to be harmful. Even the quiet, everyday thoughts—“I shouldn’t eat that,” “I wish I looked different,” “They probably think I let myself go”—can add up and shape how you show up in the world.

Why Body Shame Runs So Deep

We live in a culture that profits from insecurity. Diet culture, beauty standards, and media messages all teach us that our worth is conditional, based on how we look, how much we weigh, or how well we conform. These messages are reinforced early and often, making it easy to internalize the belief that your body is a problem to fix.

And for many, body shame is compounded by deeper experiences—trauma, bullying, neglect, or growing up in a home where appearance was overly emphasized. Your body may have become a source of stress instead of safety.

How to Begin Healing the Shame Around Your Body

Healing doesn’t happen through “fixing” your appearance—it happens through reconnecting with yourself, rewriting internal stories, and creating space for compassion.

Here’s how to begin:

1. Recognize Where the Shame Came From

Body shame is learned. You weren’t born hating your body. Take time to explore where those beliefs came from—family messages, media, trauma—and remind yourself: if it was learned, it can be unlearned.

2. Speak to Yourself the Way You’d Speak to a Friend

You wouldn’t shame a friend for how they looked or what they ate. So why speak to yourself that way? Start gently challenging that inner critic with a more compassionate voice—even if it feels unnatural at first.

3. Make Peace with Photos, Mirrors & Your Reflection

Start small. Look in the mirror and try not to pick yourself apart. Notice something neutral or even kind. Over time, neutral acceptance can pave the way for deeper self-trust.

4. Unfollow & Refill

Curate your social media. Unfollow accounts that make you feel inadequate, and fill your feed with body-diverse creators, therapists, artists, and voices that celebrate you for more than just aesthetics.

5. Reconnect with Your Body Function, Not Just Form

Shift focus from how your body looks to what it allows you to do. Maybe it lets you dance, stretch, hug, rest, and laugh. Your body has carried you through so much—it deserves care, not criticism.

6. Talk to Someone Safe

Body shame often thrives in silence. Whether it’s a therapist or a trusted support system, having a space to talk about these feelings can be a powerful step in releasing them.

This Is About More Than Body Image—It’s About Self-Worth

You don’t have to love your body every day to respect it. Healing from body shame isn’t about perfect confidence—it’s about creating a relationship with yourself that feels safe, kind, and grounded.

Your worth isn’t measured in pounds, pant sizes, or how “put together” you look. It lives in how you treat yourself, how you show up, and how much grace you offer the person in the mirror.

You Deserve a Safe Relationship with Your Body

If you’ve been carrying shame for years, it can feel like you’ll never fully let it go. But you can start with one small, radical choice: compassion. You’re allowed to take up space, rest without guilt, and feel at home in your body again.

Book a free consultation today to begin your journey toward healing shame around your body, rebuilding self-trust, and feeling more connected to yourself from the inside out.