If you’ve ever felt guilt over what you eat, stress about your body, or feel pressure to “fix” how you look—you're not alone. But what if self-care wasn’t about perfection or fixing your body?
What if it was about curiosity, compassion and defining your own supportive, respectful relationship with yourself?
"As dietitians we often ask people to consider: What if we treated our bodies like we treat our closest friends? We wouldn’t constantly criticize a friend’s appearance or dictate what they should or shouldn’t eat. Instead, we’d offer compassion, trust and care." — Lauren Rossong and Sara Friedrich, Registered Dietitians
This is where reflection can be powerful:
- What messages did you hear about food, bodies and self-worth growing up?
- How do these messages influence how you take care of yourself today?
When we pause to consider where our beliefs and behaviors come from, we can begin to see how easy it can be to fall into patterns that punish rather than support—like skipping meals, turning to food to cope with emotions instead of addressing what's underneath, pushing through intense workouts to ‘make up’ for eating or ignoring our need for rest. These behaviors often stem from well-intentioned but ultimately harmful ideas about what it means to ‘be healthy.’
True self-care is deeper than green smoothies or spa days. It’s about reconnecting with your body, honoring its needs and shifting from control to care.
3 self-care practices to transform your connection with food and body
1. Self-compassion over criticism
When you notice judgemental thoughts around food or your body, pause and try responding with compassion and understanding. Here are a couple of examples:?
- “I ate too much” → “I let myself feel full and cared for”
- “I shouldn’t have eaten that” → “I’m learning what works for me”
Nourishment goes beyond nutrition—it includes joy, culture and emotional wellbeing. Yet when we're stressed or overwhelmed, we often disconnect from our body's signals, leading to patterns like skipping meals or turning to food for comfort rather than addressing what's underneath.
Self-care begins with curiosity, not judgment. This means tuning into your body —energy levels, hunger, emotions and other physical sensations—without criticism.
- Try: Throughout the day, pause and ask: What am I feeling? What do I need? No need to be perfect, just notice.
3. Body appreciation for mental wellness
Your body supports you every day—helping you move, breathe, rest and enjoy life’s moments. Appreciating your body means focusing less on how it looks and more on what it allows you to do. You don’t have to love every part of your body in order to care for it and meet its needs.
- Try: Write down three things your body allowed you to do today, from hugging a loved one to enjoying a favorite song.
Your journey begins now
Part of this journey is reclaiming your own relationship with food and your body—honoring your culture, preferences and your body's natural cues—while reflecting on how external pressures may have shaped your views.
It's important to recognize that healing is influenced by the world around us. Diet culture, social media, and societal pressures about how bodies 'should' look, along with assumptions that all bodies work the same way, can all create real challenges.