Let’s be honest: Not every day is a "love your body" day. Some days, you look in the mirror and feel frustration, sadness, or disconnect. Forcing yourself to say, “I love my stretch marks!” when you are struggling can actually make you feel worse.

Enter body neutrality.

Body neutrality is the quiet cousin of body positivity. It says: I don’t have to love my body to treat it with respect. My worth is not tied to my appearance.

Examples of body neutral statements:

A sustainable wellness lifestyle is built on neutrality. You don't need to wake up feeling like a goddess. You just need to show up for yourself with basic kindness.

Case: A 45-year-old woman in a larger body, pre-diabetic, with a history of yo-yo dieting.

We cannot talk about body positivity without talking about mental health. Chronic stress, negative self-talk, and poor body image are detrimental to your physical well-being.

When you look in the mirror and speak harshly to yourself, your body releases cortisol (the stress hormone). When you speak kindly to yourself, you create a sense of safety and calm.