As the summer nights start to get shorter, your mind drifts into the upcoming school year.
You might be excited to see your friends and dive into new classes, but alongside this excitement, you may also struggle with anxiety—especially about body image. Maybe the thought of stepping onto campus again fills you with fear or dread because insecurities about your appearance start flooding into your mind.
You are not alone, returning to college can be a daunting experience, particularly if you’re struggling with negative body image. The idea of being constantly surrounded by peers and the pressure to fit into societal beauty standards can fuel feelings of inadequacy. Perhaps you spent the summer avoiding mirrors or social gatherings because you were uncomfortable with how you looked. Now, with the new semester approaching, the fear of judgment from others might be intensifying.
These feelings can manifest in several ways. You might find yourself obsessively comparing your body to others, considering ways to avoid social activities, or engaging in disordered eating habits. The stress of the academic year combined with these insecurities can make the start of the school year feel overwhelming.
The good news is that there are ways to help you cope with these fears & feelings. Here are a few tips to help you as the school year gets underway:
Acknowledge Your Feelings
The first step towards managing these anxieties is acknowledging them. It’s okay to feel this way, and you’re not alone. Many students face similar struggles, and it’s important to recognize that your feelings are valid. When we accept our feelings it helps our brain feel normalized and we can start to feel better. Understanding what’s behind our fears or insecurities is also an important step.
Our brains have to make sense of our experiences, so they will fill in the gaps with stories or beliefs that could make sense to us but often are untrue. When it comes to body image anxiety it is very common to have lots of these stories about our bodies because our culture has inundated us with unrealistic body standards. So when we feel anxious about feeling accepted by our friends, finding a partner, and a million other things that cause anxiety, we can quickly jump into inaccurate stories that make perfect sense to us. If these go unchecked, it is hard for us or others to challenge or change them.
For example, if I am fearful that my body will impact others accepting me at the party, then I may attend the party & not interact much, which will only reinforce my fears. Or I may skip the party altogether, which will make me feel safer initially but will keep me from meeting people to expand my social circle.
Body image anxiety often leads to self-judgment & self-rejection more than rejection from others.
Allow others to be aware of your fears so that they can support you. If our roommate knows that we fear rejection from our body size/shape, they may be able to remind us that if someone actually rejects us for our body shape/size, this is a red flag and that we wouldn’t want to be friends with that person anyway. Or they can remind you that attending the party, while uncomfortable, will likely go better than you think if you can go & get really engaged. You can also feel more supported while you are doing the scary thing because when we feel like someone knows we are up against a challenge, we automatically feel more supported & capable of handling it.
Focus on Function
Instead of concentrating solely on how your body looks, shift your focus to how it functions on your behalf. This will not change those negative beliefs or insecurities, but it will help your focus. It will help your brain to anchor out into another perspective on your body. Instead of viewing it from an aesthetics standpoint, we can focus on how it functions on our behalf. Zooming out brings in a more balanced perspective and can de-emphasise some of the fears we hold tightly when we are worried. Identify a few things that your body has helped you to do- hiking with friends, hugging your grandma, handling hard classes last semester, and the list can go on. Our bodies are actually quite remarkable, and when we feel anxious our brain gets out of balance and we can look at ways to to help ourselves through those moments.
Practice Self-Care
Self-care isn’t just about pampering yourself; it’s about taking steps to care for your physical, emotional, and mental health. Self-care can include things like meditation, journaling, or simply taking time out of your day to relax and unwind. When we are more stressed or anxious about school, family, work, etc our brains are going to be more self-critical. So doing things to bring down your overall emotional temperature or stress levels will directly improve your mood, which in turn will often soften your negative feelings about yourself & your body.
Self-care is also about honoring our distress in comforting & compassionate ways. We can do this by saying & doing things for ourselves that we naturally do for others. At any time, we can put our hands on our hearts or on our knees or any place that feels comforting. We can talk to ourselves in the same way we would if we were talking to our best friend. Try to use the same tone & language you use if your friend was feeling or going through the exact same thing as you are at that moment. Comfort helps us to feel calm and to have more courage. And while it's always helpful to receive this from others, we can greatly benefit from seeking it from ourselves.
Reach Out for More Help with Body Image Issues in Provo, UT
As you prepare to head back to college, remember that you are not defined by your body. Your worth is not determined by how you look, but by who you are and the unique qualities you bring to the table. By implementing these strategies, you can manage your anxieties and start the new semester. If you find that your anxiety or your body image is hijacking your peace or keeping you from fully living your life, don’t hesitate to seek professional support. Body image and anxiety can be complicated and getting customized tools can improve your ability to embrace yourself & your life more fully. Inside Wellness would be happy to offer support. If you are in Provo, SLC, and are looking for a caring therapist, follow these simple steps
Visit our contact page or, give us a call 801-699-6161, or email at info@insidewellness.com
Meet with a caring therapist
Start overcoming body image stress in the new school year!
Other Services Offered with Inside Wellness
Body image therapy isn’t the only service Inside Wellness offers support with addressing. Our team is happy to offer support with other forms of mental health support including anxiety treatment and eating disorder treatment. Learn more about the support in person or online therapy can offer today by visiting our blog or FAQ today.