I hope it is old news to you by now that, growing up in modern culture makes it nearly impossible for women not to hear the message that their looks are of utmost importance. Thankfully, what you do have a say in, and what we are here to practice, is deciding for yourself
how much of my self worth is based on other peoples’ view of my body?
self-objectification: women and girls are acculturated to internalize a third-person view of their bodies as the main way to think about themselves. This internalization leads to habitual body monitoring, wherein individuals monitor their bodies as they believe outside observers do, placing greater emphasis on how they look than on how they feel.
~INTERNALIZING BEAUTY IDEALS: THE HEALTH RISKS OF ADULT WOMEN’S SELF-OBJECTIFICATION, Vera Stiefler Johnson
Have you found yourself self-objectifying?
When you see yourself, do you think about how you look to other people, and then, how you “should” look to other people?
When self-objectification happens, beyond feeling anxious and shameful, we also stop noticing our internal body cues, like hunger, fullness, and feeling tired or energized. Because our focus shifts externally, we lose the ability to get into a “flow,” like when you are so immersed in something that you are completely focused and captivated that you lose track of time. Anyone who has been in this state knows how valuable it is! It feels good and it helps you do your best at things you want to do. Sadly, self-objectification makes it harder to get into this state, because it is continual practice at an external preoccupation.
There are even bigger picture problems with self-objectification. It leads to sexual dysfunction, disordered eating, and depression. Yes- the societal norm of seeing yourself the way you think other people see you, and prioritizing this over your own internal experience, is a major contributor to psychological distress and mental health diagnoses.
As well, (if you don’t know this you will be shocked and if you do you will shrug): the higher your level of self-objectification, the more likely you feel shame and disgust for the natural, healthy things that bodies do, like menstruate and feed babies with our own bodies. Higher levels of self-objectification mean our own minds have agreed and aligned with
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