Body neutrality is the newest body image focused movement to grab my attention.
Starting out on my own body image journey three or four years ago, I initially focused on body positivity. When I discovered that actually, this movement wasn’t for me, I shifted my journey to focus on body confidence instead.
Focusing on body confidence really benefited me. I felt great in my own skin, I stopped dieting and trying to be slimmer. At the same time, I was helping other people to feel good about themselves and their bodies too. Their body confidence being boosted was increasing their general happiness, which was brilliant to see.
Combined with learning to love yourself, I think learning about body confidence and how to be confident in your own skin, is one of the best things you can ever do.
But is it actually something to be celebrated?
Body neutrality is something I came across recently – as in, within the last six months or so. And it’s something that intrigued me.
What is body neutrality?
Despite hunting around Google for a while, I can’t seem to find a set, dictionary definition for body neutrality. What I did find, was this summary in Happiful magazine:
I really like the idea of not giving so much time and energy to our bodies – as a general rule, we all give too much of it! So much of our time is spent on how we can change XYZ, how we can lose weight, get a bigger bum, look more like the celeb of our dreams. There’s no denying that it’s absolutely exhausting!
However. That being said, I’m such a firm believer in body confidence and have seen first hand the positive impact in can have on people’s lives.
So is it possible for body confidence and body neutrality to coexist? Do we have to have one or the other? Can you be confident in your body without feeling love or hate towards it?
It’s a complex idea, right? And that’s due in part to the fact that almost all of us has a complex relationship with our body. To feel confident in your body, you have to like your body, right?
…or maybe, you don’t. Maybe you can feel nothing towards your body at all, but still feel confident. By not pinning an emotion to your body – such as like or dislike – you are free to feel happy and confident no matter what. The confidence no longer becomes circumstantial. This can only be a good thing.
Feeling good is key
Whether you’re following body neutrality or body confidence, both have the same goal – to feel good about ourselves. Body confidence includes your body in that; body neutrality, less so.
Whichever way you choose to get there isn’t important; what’s important is getting there.
I think I will always be an advocate of body confidence, simply because of my own experience with body image. But body neutrality is definitely something I want to explore a bit more, and maybe eventually help other people with.
Some people really struggle on their self love journey, and nine times out of ten it’s their body and how they perceive themselves that is holding them back. Body neutrality would be the perfect ‘middle ground’ for those people.
Everyone is unique, and everyone’s self love journey is unique too. That means different things work for different people. Someone might want to focus on their body, because they really despise it. Someone might want to forget about their body, and choose to focus on personal attributes instead.
And hey – there’s nothing to say you can’t start out focusing on body confidence and then change lanes into body neutrality and vice versa.
Humans are fluid. Our journeys in life can be too.
What do you think about body neutrality?
Have you heard of body neutrality before? Do you follow it, as opposed to body confidence or positivity? Does body neutrality come into your self love journey?
I have alllll the questions and this is definitely a topic I’m keen to discuss! Let me know your thoughts down below.
I think regardless of which movement you feel aligned with or support, one thing is key – we all need to be moving forward to help create a society where every kind of body is accepted, no matter what.
Love from, Florence Grace
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