The Connection Between Self-Worth and Body Image

Growing up, I didn’t realize that I had inherited a belief that would later contribute to severe depression and a full-blown eating disorder.

That belief was:

“If only I had the perfect body, I could feel okay about myself.”

If only I could hit that number on the scale, get as small as possible, have flat abs or toned thighs, I would finally have permission to love myself.

Can you relate?

So many women struggle with similar beliefs that lead to patterns of unhealthy, obsessive, and even disordered behaviors…all in an attempt to try to love themselves.

The problem is, these behaviors never truly lead to the lasting change you want to experience.

Sure, you might feel a temporary sense of relief or satisfaction when you see some aesthetic results or reach a specific goal. But more often than not, that feeling fades quickly, and you're left chasing the next benchmark.

As a result, it can feel like you’re always falling short of your own expectations.

You may have developed a fear of food, turned exercise into punishment, and lost trust in yourself, all while desperately trying to "fix" what's "wrong" with you through diets, obsessive workouts, and harsh self-talk—but this approach is only damaging your mind, body, and soul.

What I want you to understand is that the issue is not your body; It’s how you relate to yourself.

Body image is more than just how you look (or think you look). It’s about how you feel about yourself—mind, body, and spirit.

Engaging in disordered behaviors only reinforces the belief that something is “wrong” with you—that you need fixing, and that you can’t trust your body enough to have a healthy relationship with food or exercise.

The bottom line: If you believe that you need to be fixed, that you deserve punishment, or that you're not good enough, then your relationship with yourself needs healing.

It’s time to stop believing that fixing your body is the key to fixing your life, my friend.

True healing doesn’t come from changing how you look—it comes from changing how you relate to yourself and improving your self-worth.

When you start showing up for yourself with kindness, self-compassion, and trust, you create the foundation for a healthy body image that is rooted in who you are, not how you appear.

So, if you're tired of the endless cycle of self-criticism, restriction, and obsession, it’s time to break free. It’s time to redefine what it means to love yourself—and reclaim the life and body image you deserve.