The Summer I Turned Whole: Reclaiming the “Beach Body”

As I write this, we are all currently in the trenches of Canadian "“Sprin-ter”— that ambiguous period between freezing mornings and warm afternoons. Anyone struggling with body image issues can relate— this is a season that brings about major anxiety and increased body-criticism. One part social conditioning (a seasonal boost in weight loss advertising, increased summer or beach body messaging, an uptick in body/diet conversations); one part heat & body exposure (warm weather begs for less clothing, more vulnerability of the body— not to mention the sensory overload of heat and sweat); and one part expectations of self (perfectionism to fit in to body norms, behavioural reinforcement by dieting or intentionallyi losing weight).

The Illusion of “Control” Through Winter Isolation

A common management tool for poor body image is distraction and redirection. Unfortunately distraction is often misinterpreted as avoidance. As we go through winter, we find a lot of comfort in oversized clothing, more time spent at home, less social demands, and overall less emphasis or attention to the body. And let’s be honest— avoidance is nothing short of relieving sometimes.

Body anxiety has evolved— with the over-saturation of weight loss advertising & prescribing, we are noticing increased body attention regardless of season. But still, spring/summer brings about challenges that simply don’t exist for Canadians in any other season. As soon as the the sun peeks it’s shy head through our windows and the ice begins to melt, we are expected to get outside, enjoy the season, and feel some warmth on our skin. This means an invisible pressure for anyone struggling with body & food anxiety. The control avoidance we found solace in through the winter is quickly ripped away. It can feel like non-consensual exposure with little relief.

Social Pressures & Impact on Body Image

I shouldn’t have to write a paragraph here—if this concept is foreign to you— consider yourself lucky, but also keep yourself informed. Every single human is sensitive, reactive, and vulnerable— no exceptions. Whether you realize it or not, social standards of beauty are absorbed, repackaged, and projected. Like a big cess-pool of bacteria— we catch, experience, and infect each other with diet culture rhetoric. Unless you have the biological make-up of a reptile, these constant pressure-droplets will not roll off your back. Hell, there’s even explicit diet programs that target summer body preparation (if you’re tempted to google it, stay with me here).

How Do I Manage my Seasonal Body Image Anxiety?

Let me just start by saying— body image anxiety realistically won’t be erased— especially in a culture entirely focused on thinness. We can, however, manage symptoms.

Turn your focus to physical regulation and cognitive reframing—

Purge your closet: If your summer clothes are too small, don’t fit comfortably, or make you feel too exposed— get rid of them. Sell, donate, repurpose— get them out of your sight! Fill your wardrobe with summer clothing that fit and are comfortable— lean in to items that feel intentional, fun, playful, or evoke a positive feeling.

Stay cool: Remember that sensory overload? Keeping your body temperature regulated means you won’t feel as fixated on the body. Take breaks if you’re outside in the sun, drink water, make sure you have a meal or snack, or suggest more air-conditioned spaces when socializing.

Practice (and keep practicing) cognitive reframing: Our behavioural feedback loop is real— how we choose to speak to ourselves will directly influence our ability to regulate the body in challenging situations. Here are two examples, one outlining a negative feedback loop associated with body image, and a second presenting a positive feedback loop:

Negative Feedback Loop: I am uncomfortable in my body (automatic thought) —> I must change my diet, exercise more, keep tabs on my progress (obsessive thought) —> engagement in dieting/body control (behavioural reinforcement) —> I am still uncomfortable in my body (negative feedback loop)

Positive Feedback Loop: I am uncomfortable in my body (automatic thought) —> I reject and will not engage in dieting or body checking (thought disruption)—> Redirecting body anxiety to activities or distractions that make me feel fulfilled (behavioural reinforcement) —> I am more than just a body, even when uncomfortable (positive feedback loop)

Fed Body > Beach Body

We all know this cycle is exhausting. Being consumed with body and portion sizes is not anyone’s idea of embracing summer. As we push into a new season, I acknowledge that I have spent a fair chunk of my 34 years existing in fear of how my body will show up for me in summertime. What I failed to notice was that it’s been showing up for me this whole time, and that I was only trying to suffocate it. A fed body keeps me moving, laughing, playing, and enjoying. I am no longer wishing away time, waiting for the season to pass, in hopes of finding more comfort in avoidance. This is my summer body— the body I take to the beach; a body that is fed, a body that falls asleep peacefully, a body that feels sun on the skin. This body is home to an authentic, fulfilled, whole human.