If you struggle with body image, it doesn't have to take years to find relief. Body image starts in your brain. This is good news because no matter what your body looks like, or how it changes, it's possible to have a healthy body image. Practice by thinking well of your body and respecting it. That's the goal for a healthy body image. Body confidence isn't achieved by liking everything you see in the mirror. However, when you learn the skill of body confidence, you end up seeing your body with kinder eyes and you appreciate things you used to criticize. 

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Do you want this kind of body confidence? It's life changing. Start small and you'll see results. For some reason, women think it needs to take years to undo their negative body image. This isn't true. When you focus on the right things, you can have a better body image in a few weeks.

Here are the steps I followed to quickly improve my body image. Did this solve all my issues? Of course not. Once I got some momentum, it made it easier to work on my body relationship because I was encouraged and found some relief. Here's how to have a better body image in a two weeks (or 16 days, to be precise. You can sign up to take the free challenge here!)

Start with identity work.

During days 1-5 you really just need to tell yourself your body isn't you. Your identity plays a huge role in your body image. If you see yourself as your body, your whole sense of self worth is determined by what your body looks like. These early days are the crucial building blocks of what confidence really means. It's not about liking what your body looks like, it's about respecting and appreciating your body.

Examine beauty standards.

Days 6-10 shift your focus to the deeper societal standards you feel pressured to live up to. Beauty standards are why we feel our bodies are "wrong" or "right". Once you separate your identify from your body, it's time to challenge the things we expect from our bodies. It's unrealistic to expect to fit into the same jeans you wore in high school or college as a grown woman. Wearing the same clothes as a child isn't a flex. It's not a bad thing, but it's definitely not the determining factor of your health.

Normalize normal things about your body.

Days 11-16 normalize the things diet culture and "fitspo" posts taught you to fear. Normalize feeling hungry, enjoying rest days, moving at a pace that fits your lifestyle instead of one that's obsessed with fitness, calories, and weight.

Take the challenge!

I put together a challenge to improve your body image by targeting negative self talk. That's the culprit, not your thighs or your stomach. When you learn how to tame and train your self talk to something affirming, uplifting, and encouraging it's impossible not to feel confident in your body - and pretty much everything else in your life!

Give it a try and join this challenge for free. You'll get a packet in your email with everything you need. Plus daily emails for 16 days encouraging you and explaining the daily prompt.