It’s not just a bad body day, it’s a nervous system pattern
You know those moments when body shame hits out of nowhere?
You were fine, then suddenly:
You catch your reflection and feel sick
You spiral over what to wear, and nothing feels “right”
You scroll past a cute outfit and immediately think, “not for my body type”
You leave clothes in the cart because you don’t feel “ready” for them yet
You decide not to go out, not to eat the thing, not to be in the photo
You wonder how you got here, and why it feels so hard just to exist in your body
It’s like your whole nervous system lights up, tight chest, racing thoughts, full-body rejection.
So you reach for control: obsessing, restricting, hiding, overthinking.
This is what makes sense to you.
This is your nervous system asking for safety in moments of dysregulation.
It means your body is trying to keep you safe, the only way it knows how.
Cue: EFT
EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), or “tapping,” is one of the gentlest and most effective tools I’ve found for regulating the nervous system, especially when you're spiralling about your body or trying to control or fix it.
EFT works with the body, calming the stress response, creating a sense of internal safety, and slowly helping you rewire the patterns you’ve been stuck in for years.
Because when you’ve spent your life being told your body is a problem, healing isn’t just about thinking new thoughts and trying to love the body that you're in.
It’s about helping your whole system believe something new.
EFT gives you a way to start doing that, one tap, one breath, one small truth at a time.
Try This: Tapping Through the Spiral
Use this simple EFT script to calm the intrusive thoughts, self-criticism and soothe your system when body shame starts to spiral.
Start by taking a deep breath. Tap gently on each of the points (starting with the side of the hand) and repeat after me:
Side of Hand (Karate Chop Point):
Even though I’m in a body spiral right now, I choose to be kind to myself.
Even though this feels intense and overwhelming, I accept that my body is asking for safety.
Even though I want to fix or control something, I choose to pause, and breathe.
Top of Head:
I'm stuck in a body spiral.
Eyebrow:
My mind is racing.
Side of Eye:
I feel uncomfortable in my body.
Under Eye:
And I want to escape, fix, or hide.
Under Nose:
But I know what this is, dysregulation, not disaster.
Chin:
I don’t have to believe every thought.
Collarbone:
I’m allowed to feel this and still be safe.
Under Arm:
This spiral doesn’t define me. It’s just a moment.
Top of Head:
My body is not my enemy.
Eyebrow:
My thoughts aren’t trying to hurt me, they’re trying to protect me.
Side of Eye:
But I choose compassion instead of criticism.
Under Eye:
I can calm my system without punishing my body.
Under Nose:
My body is not a problem to be fixed or solved.
Chin:
I choose compassion right now.
Collarbone:
I choose to be with my body instead of trying to fight it.
Under Arm:
Even when it’s hard because i don't yet like how I look.
Top of Head:
Being with my body can feel safe and peaceful.
Take a deep breath.
Place your hands on your lap or heart. Repeat:
“It's safe to be with my body. I don't need to fix or change my body. I'm choosing compassion and peace above all else."
Takeaway -
So many of us try to solve body image in our minds…
But your body is asking to be included in the healing.
Start with your nervous system.
Not because it’s trendy, but because it works.
Want to go deeper?
We explore more of this in the BYOUDI Body Image Healing Framework and what we cover in the early stages of my course and live beta experience, Enough, Already: Body Image Starter Kit.
It’s the gentle unravelling that helps everything else begin to make sense.
If this resonates, the course might be the next right step for you.