It can be hard to appreciate our own body if we are constantly comparing it to others. Sometimes our brains do this without us even realising it, but we are in charge of how we feel when this happens.

When we notice ourselves comparing how we look to someone else, we can acknowledge that feeling but we don’t want to be too hard on ourselves or try to change who we are to be more like that person. We can celebrate what someone else can do while still being pretty proud of what we can do as well!

If we make time to appreciate our bodies each and every day, we can build a force field to push back against anything that might make us feel bad about our bodies.

Appreciating our body is an important lifelong skill, even when we are tired, sick or not feeling great. Researchers have discovered that when we appreciate our body, we are more likely to eat a wide variety of foods and do physical activity we enjoy. It even makes us more likely to ask for help when we need it – and that’s a great thing!

When we appreciate our bodies, we also don’t spend as much time worrying about the way we look, which can affect our mental health. Embracing your body is good for you in so many ways. Try thinking about what you appreciate about your body, like the way it helps you see, hear, smell, taste and touch. It enables you to move, be creative and interact with others. Think about all the things it’s doing right now without you noticing, like digesting your lunch or breathing in fresh air. It can even heal itself when you are sick or injured. Your body is pretty incredible, isn’t it?!