🧠Seeing Ourselves: Understanding Body Image in a World Full of Filters
posted 14th November 2025
🧠Seeing Ourselves: Understanding Body Image in a World Full of Filters
Body image is something almost everyone struggles with, even if we don’t always say it out loud. In a world filled with filters, curated photos, and impossible beauty standards, it’s easy to look in the mirror and feel like we don’t quite measure up. But body image isn’t really about appearance; it’s about how we think about ourselves, the confidence we carry, and the relationship we build with our bodies over time.
đź’ What Is Body Image?
Body image is the mental picture we hold of our bodies, how we see ourselves, how we think others see us, and how we feel in our own skin. It’s shaped by upbringing, culture, family, friends, and the constant stream of images we see online.
Sometimes, our body image feels positive, and we feel strong, capable, and at ease. Other times, it can bring comparison, doubt, and pressure to change.
🌍 Where Do These Pressures Come From?
Social Media
Endless filters and “perfect” photos can distort how we see real bodies, even when we know they’re edited.
Beauty Standards
Every era promotes an “ideal” body type that few can achieve. These ideals change, but the pressure remains.
Friends and Family
Even well-meaning comments about appearance can shape how we view ourselves.
Inner Critic
Often, the harshest judgment comes from within, when we compare ourselves to who we think we should be.
🧠How Body Image Affects Mental Health
The way we feel about our bodies can deeply affect how we live, connect, and care for ourselves. Please remember that body image isn’t just about vanity; it’s about identity, self-worth, and emotional safety.
When we feel disconnected from our bodies, it can influence our confidence, relationships, and overall well-being. Negative body image is often linked to anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression. It can also lead to unhealthy coping behaviours like restrictive eating or overexercising.
Please know that struggling with body image doesn’t mean something is wrong with you; it reflects the pressures and expectations we’ve absorbed from society. With the right support, therapy, and self-compassion, it’s possible to build a kinder, more accepting relationship with your body.
🧩 The Psychology Behind Body Image
Body image isn’t just about what we see in the mirror; it’s about the beliefs, emotions, and experiences that form our sense of self over time.
From a psychological perspective, body image includes four parts:
- Perceptual: How accurately we see our body’s size and shape.
- Cognitive: The thoughts we hold about how we look.
- Emotional: The feelings our body evokes; pride, shame, comfort, or anxiety.
- Behavioral: How we act based on those beliefs, such as comparing, hiding, or avoiding.
These patterns often begin in childhood and are reinforced by culture and media. When life feels uncertain, focusing on the body can feel like a way to regain control, even though it often leads to more self-criticism.
Improving body image isn’t about changing how you look; it’s about changing how you think and feel about yourself.
🌿 Building a Healthier Body Image
Curate Your Feed
Follow people who show real bodies and celebrate self-acceptance.
Be Kind to Yourself
Talk to yourself the way you’d talk to a friend, gently and with compassion.
Appreciate What Your Body Can Do
Focus on strength, movement, and health, not appearance.
Choose Positive People
Spend time with those who lift you and value you for who you are.
Challenge Unrealistic Standards
Real bodies have lines, texture, and stories; perfection isn’t real.
Your body is not a problem to fix! It’s a story to understand, respect, and care for.
