Body image
Body image is how we think and feel about ourselves physically. Sometimes, we worry about how we look or what our friends think about our body. If you're struggling with body image, here’s some advice that can help you.
What is body image?
- comparing how you look with friends or people you follow on social media
- struggling to love and accept your body
- feeling as though your body shape is not represented in the media
- hiding your body because you feel ashamed by it
- struggling to find clothes for your body, particularly if you have a physical disability
- feeling misunderstood about your body when people make assumptions about things like, why you might need a wheelchair
- feeling like you are not attractive enough
- birthmarks, surgery scars or acne affecting how you feel about how you look
- feeling as though your body does not match your gender. For information on this, have a look at our page on gender and mental health
These thoughts about how we look are often influenced by things going on around us. It can be what we see every day on social media, what the characters we see on TV look like, or seeing adverts about ‘improving how you look’. All of this can contribute to how we feel about our body.
Other influences might be:
- the media promoting one type of body as ‘fit and healthy’ with little to no representation of different bodies
- comments from friends or family about your body
- social media promoting what should be the ‘perfect body’ image
- clothes limited to fit certain body types
- adverts, health campaigns or lessons at school on what is a ' healthy body’
If you feel that you are comparing your body with things you see every day, you are not alone. Lots of us are influenced by the things around us, which can impact our mental health.
How can body image affect my mental health?
If you are having these thoughts and feelings about how you look, you might be struggling with your body image. You may find everyday tasks like eating, getting dressed or going out with friends becoming more difficult.
This can be at any point in your life or continuously throughout your life, but it is common to have these thoughts when you are going through puberty. During puberty, your body releases hormones which makes you more aware of how you look, and more aware of other people’s bodies. These changes happen to everyone, and can sometimes make you feel out of control or anxious.
It can lead to feelings of:
- low self-esteem
- depression
- anxiety
- isolation
- eating problems
- obsessing over how you look
Body dysmorphic disorder
Body dysmorphic disorder is when you constantly worry about flaws in your appearance, focus on specific areas of your body and compare yourself a lot to others.
What to do if you're worried about how you look
It's important to remember that there isn’t a single type of beauty - everyone sees it differently. And there simply isn’t a right or a wrong way to look. But if you're struggling, here are some things you can do:
- Be kind to yourself and try not to compare yourself to the many images you see online and in magazines, which are often digitally changed to make them look ‘perfect’ – they don’t reflect how people look in real life.
- Check if your social media is affecting the way you feel about your body. There can be lots of pressure online to have the ‘perfect’ body. This can cause you to worry about how you look and compare yourself with others online. Following influencers who talk about positive body image like our ambassador Jada Sezer, (see her Instagram @jadasezer), @bodyposipanda or @kennyethanjones can help you feel better about your body and have a more positive time online. We have lots of tips from young people like you on how to keep your social media positive.
- Focus on the things you like about yourself, and the parts of your body that you like.
- Spend time with people who make you feel positive about yourself. It might help you to write down the nice things people say to you, and not just about how you look. Remember, people value you for many reasons.
- Think about what advice you would give a friend if they told you they were struggling with the way they look, and remember that advice whenever you start having negative thoughts.
- Talk to someone you trust. It could be your parents or wider family members, like older cousins, aunts or uncles. Outside home, it could be a teacher, a neighbour, a close family friend or someone from a club you attend.
If you feel unable to cope, or particularly worried about one part of your body, talk to your GP about how you’re feeling. They can listen, tell you about local services and support groups, or they may suggest specific treatment for the way you’re feeling.