“What does it mean to Love MY Body?”
— Almost Everyone
For most, if not all, survivors of trauma, the body is a place of contention.
You’re told to love your body, but more often than not you feel any and every thing, but love.
Because the body hold memories of the things that have happened to you physically, mentally, emotionally, verbally, and sexually, it can often feel like an uncomfortable warzone if it is not healed and treated well. OR you may have cut yourself off from feeling anything in your body to avoid the discomfort.
Healing is not always a physical healing, there are usually a lot of mental and emotional wounds that impact how connected you feel to your body and impede the healing process.
“when you try to suppress those memories and feelings, the body continues to keep an account.”
Bodies can also often be a source of shame and embarrassment depending on the ways that people have commented on your body in the past or present. Visiting home and family members commenting on how much or how little weight you’ve gained. Telling you how much you should or should not be eating. Comparing yourself to the bodies of other members of your family.
And this doesn’t even take into account the messages that you get from society about how you “should” look and what makes a person beautiful. The standard of beauty that is often normed on cis, straight, thin, white women can leave majority of the population believing that they are unattractive and unable to love their bodies if they fall short of this standard.
“So how can you love your body when it is holding on to past traumas and pains and you live in a society that constantly tells you your body isn’t worth being loved?”
— #QTNA
You start by reframing what it means.
If we consider love to be an act and not a feeling or a belief, it unlocks new options for how to show love.
You can show love to your body by treating it with gentleness, kindness, and compassion.
When was the last time you gave yourself a massage? When was the last time you LOOKED at yourself in the mirror and said kind things? When was the last time you spoke highly of your body?
You can show love to your body by nurturing it and nourishing it.
How much water do you drink on a daily basis? What kinds of foods are you putting in your body? Do you take your vitamins? Are you eating well-balanced meals?
You can show love to your body by telling it good things and showing appreciation.
Do you thank your body for what it can do for you? Do you show gratitude for your legs that allow you to take long walks in the park? Do you show appreciation for your arms that allow you to hug your loved ones? Do you thank your eyes for allowing you to be able to see the beautifies of this world?
You can show love to your body by moving it and lubricating your joints.
Do you do yoga? Do you move your body in a way that feels good and satisfying? Do you counter intense exercising with stretching and relaxation?
You can show love to your body by letting it rest.
Do you allow yourself to get good sleep? Do you allow your body to rest after a long day? When was the last time you just allowed yourself to do nothing?
You can show love to your body by healing from past traumas that keep you from loving your body.
Do you need to start therapy to help you heal?
Your body keeps score of the past traumas you’ve experienced and if you’re not actively engaged in your healing, that limits your ability to love your body and yourself.
“Loving your body does not have to be an impossible task, but you owe it to yourself to invest in acts of love for your body!”
— Dr. Sims
If you are located in the state of Georgia* and interested in starting your healing journey, you can follow any of the steps below.
1. Contact us to schedule your first appointment and learn more about our services.
2. Review our Meet Us pages to learn more about our trauma trained providers.
3. Review our FAQs page to learn more about therapy at our center.
We look forward to being a part of your healing journey.
*Dr. Marcuetta Sims also sees clients in other states. Check her bio to learn more.