COVID-19 AND BODY IMAGE

The COVID-19 restrictions have impacted on all aspects of our lives. Many of the daily routines which brought us comfort have changed. It’s really important to acknowledge that being out of our routine like that is very difficult. 

Our exercise and food choices may be different, we may be finding it difficult to get time to ourselves and all of these changes can have an impact on body image. It’s important to allow ourselves to feel whatever emotions come up at this time, not push them away. Lots of people will be experiencing anxiety, sadness or fear at this time and it’s important to try to accept these feelings.

BE KIND TO YOURSELF

Try not to be hard on yourself if you can’t stick to your usual routine or don’t feel like exercising. These are stressful times and focusing on what will make us feel good and bring us comfort is more important. 

Be kind to yourself and think about the things you can do each day that will make you feel happier and help you to cope with/get through the current situation as best you can. Make it a habit to ‘check in’ with yourself and ask - what do I need right now? Maybe you need a rest - to sit down with a cup of tea, talk to a friend, take a hot shower or maybe you need to get out for a walk and some fresh air. Start to respond to what your body needs. 

Treat yourself and your body with kindness and focus on what makes you feel good.

VIDEO CALLS AND BODY IMAGE

In the absence of face to face interaction we are spending more time on video calls. This has been highlighted as a significant source of body image stress. 

We are inundated with Zoom calls and video requests so always remember it’s OK to admit to Zoom fatigue and to say no to a video call. Suggestions to reduce video call stress include taking time to do something relaxing prior to video calls.

Research shows that when you’re on video, you tend to spend the most time gazing at your own face. This can be avoided by hiding yourself from view. Turn your camera off to make it less stressful or if you need the camera on you could decide to look at other people so that you are not focusing on how you look.

COVID-19 AND SOCIAL MEDIA

It’s important to be conscious of how content online is affecting us and to make changes to support ourselves in a positive way. Exposure to workout or diet posts online can increase body image concerns during this time.

Although it’s not as simple as ‘don’t look’, it is important to try to stay mindful when you are online or using social media. Notice how the content you are engaging with is affecting you. Tune into your mood and body to notice what is having a negative effect. You could make a conscious choice to ‘unfollow’ certain content for a while or to minimise time online if it is increasing your stress levels.

It is also helpful to make your time online purposeful, to focus on what you want to find and avoid being distracted by scrolling online if that is impacting on you negatively.