Body neutrality is a concept that says you don’t have to love or hate your body, you just have to acknowledge and accept it for what it is – even if that makes you feel like a convictionless worm, and you’d much rather take a stance, any stance, and stick by it. Here’s how you can attempt to adopt a body neutral mindset even though you desperately want to take a stand for something, anything at all.
Focus on what your body can do for you.
To avoid any subjective thoughts about your body, try focusing on the objective, like what your body does every day to keep you alive. While it can be tempting to give in to the powerful urge to rage against something you detest, or to throw your wholehearted support behind something you truly believe in, you must resist. Douse that righteous fire in your heart, and focus instead on understanding the minutiae of your digestive system, which is really mind-numbingly boring but ultimately better for you, right? Soon you will feel nothing.
Redirect body-talk conversations.
If your friends or family start to express discontent with their weight, size, or general appearance, you need to stop them in their tracks – even if you do respect and envy them for their endless, if not destructive, conviction. This way, you can move the conversation away from body-hating and bring it into more neutral territory, which is ultimately beneficial, even though “neutral territory” makes you feel like you’re a self-described “Moderate” man on Hinge.
Listen to your body.
Your body is constantly telling you how it feels – because even though you’re chained by the shackles of neutrality (Okay, 1940s Switzerland!), your body doesn’t play by those same rules. Your body has an opinion, voices it in a million different ways, and advocates for itself in a way that is inspiring, brave, and, honestly, beautiful. So shut up, listen, and give your body what it needs, whether that be taking it easy during a workout or indulging in a dessert you’ve been craving. Because some of us (your body) are the earth-shakers who fight for what they believe in, and some of us (you) are the dispassionate bystanders who do what they’re told. And that’s actually a good thing!
So the next time you’re thinking about your body, whether it’s “Wow, I look hot” or “Ew, my knees” – remember to squash that shit down and opt for something more like “That’s my body” even if it makes you feel like a spineless, low-level politician looking to appeal to the masses at the expense of maintaining even a shred of their integrity. Happy neutrality! Sorry — neutral neutrality.
