Do You “Bad Mouth” Your Body?

This is the fourth installment of our series “Four Painful Pitfalls to Avoid.” As a recap, we discussed how these three pitfalls can really take us off course to getting happy with our body:

#1. The Perfectionism Syndrome

#2. An All or Nothing Mentality

#3. The Glass Half-Empty, All The Time

Here’s our last one in the series—

Pitfall #4: Bitching About and Bad Mouthing Your Body. 

Oh, this is a big one. Have you heard the way we speak to our body? Oh heavens….some of the things I’ve heard people say and, in my past, have told myself. Do I really want to tell a part of me that I am bad, ugly, fat, useless? 

Perhaps your language isn’t quite as venomous. Still, telling ourselves we have bad knees is 1) inaccurate and 2) inconsiderate. You don’t have “bad” knees. Perhaps you have a sore or swollen knee. Or a knee that isn’t working as well as you like and needs healing. But there is not a part in your body that is bad, ugly, or useless.

Everything in your body has a reason and an explanation. Even cancer is not your body. It is an invader to your body’s perfect system that your body is diligently attempting to fight. 

The Practice: Be Mindful.  Here’s a quick reality check – If you wouldn’t say it to a friend or loved one, then don’t say it to or about your body. This practice of the mind will need close observation to monitor.

First, start by placing your attention on your words. And next,  question if you are accurately describing the situation and the facts. Are you being descriptive and detailed about how your knee feels? How would your body describe your knee?  Your body may say your knee has some inflammation or perhaps some arthritis, but it wouldn’t tell you it is “bad.” 

I encourage you to practice being impeccable and truthful with your words. After all, your body is listening.