Over the summer, I moved from New York City to the surrounding suburbs.

It was something I had wanted and was excited to do, and still, the transition was really tough for me. My mental health took a big hit.

It was also during this time that my body image changed for the first time in a long time – for the worse. I have to think the two are related: I was feeling pretty down in general, and so my body image suffered too. 

Body image isn’t linear. It constantly goes up and down over the course of several days and even within a single day. Your body image will never fully be bad or good.

But if I were to look at my body image on a chart during this period, I probably would’ve seen a squiggly line – one that bounced around – but that slowly went lower and lower.

And so, even as a dietitian who specializes in intuitive eating and body acceptance, I know how shitty it feels to feel this way about yourself.

That’s one of the (many) reasons that I do the work that I do. I understand what it feels like to struggle in your body and feel self-conscious. It really doesn’t feel great. It affects so many areas of your life.

And I also know how it feels to work through these feelings and get to a place where you’re more comfortable with food and your body. This is why I’m so passionate about food freedom and a healthy relationship with food. They feel so much better and, not to be super repetitive, freeing.

So take it from me: as someone who works to help others improve their body image and as someone who has totally been there and knows what it feels like to struggle with poor body image – this is what I do when I’m having a bad body image day (or a few days).

1. Get dressed and put on something that feels good.

I can’t stress how important it is to get dressed. And not just in leggings or sweatpants.

Take a few minutes to put on a cute outfit, do your hair, and/or put some makeup on. Yes, these things are all outward and superficial. But they help you feel a little more put together, a little less “blah,” and hopefully a little more like yourself.

It’s hard to improve how you feel about yourself when you’re in a messy bun and day-old sweats. Put on something you feel good in and take a few minutes to do whatever you need to do to feel a little more together. It really does help!

The key here: the clothes have to fit.

Clothes that are too tight will have the opposite effect: because you can constantly feel how tight and uncomfortable your clothes are, they just cause you to hyper-focus on your body and how uncomfortable you feel in it. Avoid this by wearing clothes that fit comfortably.

I recommend having a few go-to outfits for these moments specifically: pants that are comfy, a sweater you always feel good in, or a pair of earrings that you love.

2. Don’t obsess in the mirror – walk away.

After getting dressed and doing whatever it is that helps you feel more together – step away from the mirror.

Give yourself a once over and then move on. Standing in the front of the mirror only gives you more time to pick yourself apart.

Once you get dressed, just tell yourself “this is okay.” You don’t need to feel like you look incredible. You just need to feel a little better.

But I promise you – standing in front of the mirror will only give you time to find more things you don’t like. Try to feel okay and then walk away. There is no need to overanalyze.

Sometimes when I’m having a bad body image day and have a hard time getting dressed, I simply tell myself “this is as good as it’s gonna get” and then move on to whatever else I need to do that day.

It’s not that I don’t care how I look – or even that I hate how I look – it’s that I know I’m not going to love anything in that moment and, instead of wasting time trying on outfit after outfit, I decide to move on with my day.

Try it! I promise, there’s nothing productive around picking yourself apart in the mirror.

3. Switch up your movement in a way that’s exciting.

While those first 2 tips work in the short run, sometimes bad body image can linger. 

In either scenario, I find exercise to be so helpful.

And let me be very clear: I do not mean that you should exercise in a compensatory way or as punishment.

Exercise is such an amazing way to clear your head, feel strong, and feel confident. As Elle Woods said, exercise really does give you endorphins. And those are so beneficial.

Don’t force it and please don’t push yourself. Just find some kind of movement that feels good and/or makes you feel good when you finish.

If exercise doesn’t help – or if your body image has been down for a while – I find that mixing up your exercise can help a lot.

Trying something new helps you to feel capable, strong, and proud. These feelings really help you to feel a little better about yourself in the long run.

4. Know that body image isn’t linear.

This is so important: body image isn’t linear. It’s not black and white or all good vs. bad.

Once you get to a place of feeling more comfortable with your body, still, you will not love your body and the way you look all the time.

And similarly, when you’re struggling with your body image, you won’t feel down all the time either.

You’ll have days that feel easier and days that feel harder. Within each day, there will be moments that feel easier and moments that feel harder.

Your body image is impacted by so much: your mental state, your energy levels, your sleep, your hormones and cycle, the time of the year, and so much more.

So be realistic. Expect that your body image will flow up and down. Just because it’s bad one day doesn’t meant that it will last. Try these tips and know that difficult feelings are often temporary.

5. Untie your body image from your self-worth.

At the end of the day, the best (and albeit hardest!) thing you can do is let go of how much your body image is tied to your self worth.

When you over-value the way you look and the size of your body, a bad body image day can feel colossal. It can really get you down.

Let go of that.

Your self-worth is about so much more than your body size. In fact, it has nothing to do with your body size at all.

Your friends and family don’t value you because of how much you weigh. Your boss didn’t hire you because of the size of your body. And your kids certainly don’t care what the size of your clothes are.

Think about all of the amazing things you have to offer and please know that your outward appearance is not one of them.

When you can let go of the value – and pressure – that you put on your body, you can let go of the worth you put on your body image.

Yes, you will have bad body image moments. But give yourself the power to let them be just that – a moment – and not drag you down any more.

You might notice how none of these tips mentions food. That’s intentional!

While you eat can certainly play a role in how you view your body, I don’t love the idea of “fixing” body image with food.

Despite best intentions, this can lead to restrictive or compensatory behaviors with food. And while those may feel like good short term fixes, restriction never works in the long run.

Inevitably, restriction leads to overeating and/or bingeing, which leads to restriction again, and so the cycle continues.

Instead of focusing on food, let’s nip this cycle in the bud with the above tips.

Sure, you can focus on eating foods that feel good and nourishing when your body image is down, but please don’t take it any further than that.

I promise, diets don’t work (they’re the #1 cause of weight gain). Avoid the rollercoaster that food restriction and rules can put you on.

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If you found these tips helpful and want even more tailored advice, I highly recommend checking out Food Freedom for the Whole Family.

It’s my most thorough guide to help you create a healthy relationship with food, feel better in your own skin, and set the foundation for your kids to do the same. There’s an entire section on body image in it!

Check it out here: Food Freedom for the Whole Family.