Recently, classes across the school have been learning about ‘body neutrality’, and we wanted to share a short overview here.
We have learnt that body image is the way we think and feel about our body, including how we see our body in our mind. Our body image can be positive, negative, or neutral – and of course it can change over time or because of social and cultural pressures around us.
Body neutrality is all about appreciating what your body can do rather than focusing on how it looks. While body positivity tells you that you should love your appearance, body neutrality says it is perfectly normal to have days where you feel just okay about your looks, or even don’t think about them at all! Instead of worrying about being pretty or perfect, body neutrality reminds us that our bodies are amazing because they let us run, laugh, hug our friends, and learn new things. It teaches you that your true value comes from who you are on the inside, not what you see in the mirror.
Our classes have been provided with lots of age-appropriate material to learn more about this topic by our Wellbeing and PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic subject) team, with the goal of understanding, respecting, and living in our bodies without shame. That’s the foundation of body neutrality.
What is Body Neutrality?
- an approach that emphasizes respecting your body rather than loving its appearance.
- a flexible, realistic mindset that shifts focus to what the body can do, how it grows, learns, and supports us through life.
- our bodies are not a problem to be fixed
- bodies help us to live, learn, play, and connect
- we treat ourselves with compassion and gratitude because our bodies keep us alive
Tips to Promote Body Neutrality
- Avoid commenting on the appearance of your body and other’s bodies
- Focus on feelings and functionality: “wow, my body healed itself from a cut”
- Discuss bodies in a way that prioritizes what the body can do instead of how it looks
- Focus on eating a wide variety of foods and ways to move our body