“I think about how I look more than I think about my future.”

The mental load of body image is real, and you're not broken for carrying it.

Have you ever caught yourself thinking about your body…again?

 What you’ll wear. 

How you look in photos. 

Whether your arms are showing. 

Whether you “earned” that meal. 

Whether people will notice you’ve gained weight. 

Whether your face looks tired. 

Whether your stomach sticks out. 

Whether you should cancel.

It’s constant.
And it’s exhausting.

 Most women I work with aren’t trying to get back into their skinny jeans.
They’re just trying to get their headspace back.

 Let's name what's really happening here:

This isn’t vanity.
This isn’t “low self-esteem.”

This is survival-level wiring. Reinforced by years of social conditioning that told you your body is the problem. That your worth is measured in control, conformity, and how little space you take up.

 So no, it’s not “silly” that your brain feels full of body noise.
It’s understandable. And it’s not your fault.

Your jounral prompt for the week - 

 Take a moment this week and journal on this:

 “How much mental space does my body take up on a daily basis and what would I do with that space if I got it back?”

 No pressure to write the “right” thing.
Just notice.
Let the truth spill out.

This awareness without judgment is where healing begins.

 Try This: EFT Tapping for the Body Image Mental Load

 Use this when you feel overwhelmed, stuck in body spirals, or emotionally tender after journaling.

 Start by taking a few deep breaths.
 

Karate Chop (Side of Hand):
Even though I feel overwhelmed by how much I think about my body, I choose to meet myself with compassion.
Even though this takes up so much of my brain and I’m tired, I honour how real this feels.
Even though I wish I could just get over it, I’m open to the possibility of something softer.

Top of Head:
My brain is full of thoughts about my body.
Eyebrow:
What to wear. What I ate. How I look.
Side of Eye:
It feels like I’m always managing, fixing, controlling.
Under Eye:
It’s loud. It’s heavy. It’s constant.
Under Nose:
And honestly, it’s exhausting.
Chin:
But I’m not broken for feeling this way.
Collarbone:
This didn’t come out of nowhere.
Under Arm:
It was taught. Repeated. Imprinted.
Top of Head:
And I can start to unlearn it now.

Eyebrow:
I don’t need to judge myself for this.
Side of Eye:
I get to start small.
Under Eye:
Even noticing this pattern is powerful.
Under Nose:
It means something in me is shifting.
Chin:
I choose to return to myself with kindness.
Collarbone:
I choose space, even just for a moment.
Under Arm:
I don’t have to shift everything today.
Top of Head:
But I can reclaim one breath. One thought. One step.

Deep breath.
Place your hand on your heart and repeat:

 “I choose care over control. My thoughts are not my enemy, they’re a sign it’s time to come home to myself.”

 If anything challenging comes up for you throughout this work this week, DM me on social media or reach out via email at hello@byoudi.com.au.

 Most of all be kind and compassionate with yourself and be you, dearest individual, there's no one else like you.