I read something recently that I wanted to share. It was interesting to think about body respect in this way. In my mind, for some reason, body respect and self respect really didn't relate to respect for others until I saw this comparison.
To summarize, it was essentially saying that in relationships, we don't trust and respect people immediately when meeting them for the first time. Those things come with time and with action. The other person must earn your respect. They must gain your trust over time.
Now compare this to your relationship with yourself. How long have you lacked trust in your body? How long have you treated yourself and talked to yourself with disrespect? In order to begin this process, you have to put in the actionable effort first. If you don't trust your body and vice versa, start doing things as if you did. If you don't respect the body you have or yourself as a whole, start talking to yourself as if you did. With time, effort, and intention, you can earn your own respect, and gain your own body trust.
Here are a few examples of what that might look like:
-Feeding yourself consistently and sufficiently
-Moving your body in a way that feels good
-Engaging in things beyond basic hygiene; a skin care routine, relaxing baths, body scrubs, lotions, etc.
-Getting into a regular sleep routine
-Managing stress and coping with activated feelings
-Being kind, compassionate, and gently with yourself
Don't know where to start with all this?! Let's work together and figure out step 1!