Journaling Prompts for Struggling with Body Image
Being at war with your own reflection is a draining, daily battle. Society and algorithms constantly feed you a narrow, impossible standard, training your brain to fixate on perceived flaws until your body feels like an enemy rather than a home. This hyper-focus turns basic acts of living—getting dressed, eating, moving—into acts of anxious calculation. Writing interrupts this vicious cycle. By documenting the cruelty of your inner monologue, you can expose how absurd and unhelpful it is. It creates the space to slowly shift your focus from what your body looks like to what your body allows you to do.
Journaling Prompts
Write down the exact insult you used against your body today. Would you ever speak those precise words to a child or a close friend?
Focus entirely on function. List five complex, incredible things your physical body has done for you today that have absolutely nothing to do with aesthetics.
Identify the specific media or environment that triggers your worst body image days. What concrete step will you take today to restrict your access to it?
Trace the origin of your physical insecurity. Who originally taught you that this specific part of your body was wrong, and why do they still hold authority over your self-worth?
If you spent the energy you currently use hating your body on a creative or intellectual pursuit, what could you accomplish in a month?