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How to Quiet the Inner Critic and Feel at Ease with Body Image during Wedding Season
Wedding season can be one of the most beautiful, joy-filled times of the year. But if you’ve been struggling with body image, it can also bring a wave of difficult emotions. Body image during wedding season can stir up feelings of comparison and self-doubt, especially when you’re surrounded by expectations of how you “should” look.
If you’re feeling caught in a cycle of self-criticism, you’re not alone. This blog post is here to help you navigate wedding season with a little more ease and self-compassion. I’ll dig into the roots of those body image thoughts and explore three gentle, practical ways to move toward peace with yourself and learn exactly how to feel beautiful on your wedding day!
1. Recognize the Root of Your Body Thoughts
When it feels like your body thoughts are on overdrive, it can be easy to feel stuck in a loop of comparison and critique. But have you ever wondered why these thoughts are so strong, especially during big social gatherings like weddings?
The root of these thoughts often goes deeper than the way you look today.
Years of subtle and not-so-subtle messages have trained many of us to feel like our bodies are up for judgment, especially at important events.
These thoughts are learned — they’re a reaction to social standards and past experiences, not an accurate reflection of your worth!
Next Time: When a body-critical thought pops up, try asking yourself, “What am I actually feeling right now?” Naming the feeling (whether it’s insecurity, anxiety, or feeling “not enough”) can help you see that it’s a temporary emotion, not a truth about who you are.
2. Separate Fact from Feeling: Challenge Your Inner Critic
Once we recognize that negative body thoughts are just old stories, we can begin to change our response. While it’s natural to compare yourself to others — especially when everyone is dressed up and dolled up — these comparisons aren’t necessarily based on facts; they’re often just emotional reactions.
When the inner critic starts up, it helps to remember that thoughts aren’t facts. Instead of spiraling, try reminding yourself: “This is just a story I was taught. It’s not my truth.”
By reframing these thoughts, you start loosening their hold, giving yourself more freedom to actually enjoy the moments around you instead of focusing on insecurities.
3. Ground Yourself with a Self-Check Anchor for Low Body Image during Wedding Season
A self-check anchor is a grounding technique that you can use to center yourself when negative body thoughts occur. It’s a quick and effective way to redirect your focus away from the inner critic and back to a feeling of safety and self-acceptance in the present moment.
Here’s a simple self-check anchor practice:
- Pause and place your hand over your heart (or another comforting spot).
- Take a deep breath and allow yourself to be in the moment.
- Repeat an affirmation or a reassuring statement, like:
- “I am allowed to take up space – even when I feel uncomfortable. I am enough just as I am.”
- “This uncomfortable feeling is information, I don’t need to explore this information right now.”
This small, intentional practice helps interrupt negative thoughts, reminds you of your worth, and reconnects you with your body compassionately. It can be especially helpful when you’re facing body insecurities in social situations or when self-doubt arises.
Even with the best intentions, wedding season can still bring up insecurities. When you feel that familiar wave of discomfort, try a small but powerful grounding exercise.
The beauty of this self-check anchor is in its simplicity. By physically grounding yourself and reminding yourself of your inherent worth, you’re rewiring your response to moments of doubt.
Redefining What “Looking Good” Means to You: How to Feel Beautiful on Your Wedding Day
Remember, the goal isn’t to never have negative body thoughts. The goal is to develop tools that let you quiet those thoughts and not let them define your experience. When you remind yourself that worth isn’t tied to appearance, you’re making space for more joy, presence, and freedom in these important moments.
As you navigate wedding season, know that it’s okay to take up space and feel comfortable in your own skin. You are enough, exactly as you are. 💍
Want to join my FREE 3 day “Break Up With Wedding Body Worries” challenge? Get signed up, here!
Priscilla Moore | Cilla Hope Wellness
As a therapist and coach, I blend my lived experience of body acceptance after my own eating disorder recovery with a clinical background to guide women in their 20s and 30’s toward body freedom. I focus on the root of negative body image thoughts, helping clients interrupt these patterns before they spiral. My mission is to empower those who’ve healed their relationship with food but still struggle with body acceptance to move from self-criticism to self-compassion. Through one-on-one sessions, a unique 6-step framework, group coaching, and digital resources, I offer tools to reclaim confidence, live authentically, and feel at home in their bodies. Get in touch with me today, here!
October 25, 2024
