The body you judge and the body other people see are often two different things.
Body image dissatisfaction is an ongoing negative view of your own physical appearance, often disconnected from how other people actually see that same body.
1 Understand the core chain
- A moment involving your body happens (mirror, photo, clothes)
- Attention immediately narrows onto perceived flaws
- A negative judgement about your appearance follows
- Your mood or self-esteem is affected by that judgement
- Avoiding body-related moments increases, to prevent the discomfort
“The body you judge and the body other people actually see are often two very different things.”
2 Recognise how it shows up
- Body: Tension or unease when you catch your reflection or see a photo.
- Thoughts: “I look terrible in this”, “Everyone must notice this flaw.”
- Behaviours: Avoiding mirrors or photos, choosing clothes to hide yourself.
One isolated sign is not enough to define a pattern.
3 The cycle how it keeps going
- Body-related moment
- Focus on flaws
- Negative judgement
- Mood affected
- More avoidance
…and back to the start.
4 Explore questions to go further
- Is this judgement based on how I actually look, or on a very narrow focus?
- What would a neutral observer notice first, compared with what I focus on?
- What would happen if I noted this thought without believing it straight away?
5 Go deeper needs and beliefs
Need: A stable sense of worth that doesn’t depend on appearance.
Belief: “My appearance decides my worth or whether I’m acceptable.”
6 Next steps where to go from here
- Notice how narrow and specific the critical thought is, without feeding it.
- Choose one situation this week not to avoid, despite body-image discomfort.
- Think about how much attention other people have actually paid to the perceived flaw.
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