The BODcast - S2:E10

Ahoy! Episode 10 of the BODcast and this week we are talking about avoiding the ‘new year, new me’ chat.

Now - let’s not get it twisted, I don’t think you should avoid new year's resolutions if you love them! BUT - if you’re resolving to commit to a diet, to losing weight or to changing yourself because of how someone (or society) has made you feel, then let’s talk about why you absolutely don’t need to do that.

I remember when I used to promise myself ‘this year I’m going to’ and fill the blank with some body-shaming rhetoric dressed up as ‘getting healthy’.

Again - changing lifestyle habits to improve your energy, mental health or on the advice of your doctor isn’t something I want you to lean away from.

I just want you to really think about why you’re considering signing up for a year of doing something you haven’t done before or cutting something out of your life that you enjoy (like carbs, for example).

What I want to do is give you a chance to hear what it sounds like when we offer ourselves compassion and acceptance through the season which invites us to choose our worst flaw and concoct a plan to rid ourselves of it.

Imagine you’re at a party, when someone asks the question: “So, what’s your NY resolution going to be?”

You might be tempted to say something self-deprecating (god knows it’s my drug of choice 9/10 times) but instead, you think of me and you say: “Hmm, I think I just really want to resolve to be kinder to myself.”

If that doesn’t draw murmured approval from the crowd, let me tell you, you’re hanging with the wrong one.

Maybe what you’re worried about isn’t being asked how you’re going to hit the reset button on yourself in 2022 but the conversations about naughty food and how you or someone else is going to indulge now but then give that all up on January 1st?

Let’s call this someone Aunty Janice. She’s enjoying her dessert and has maybe already let you know she’s noticed that your body has changed since she saw you in 2019.

She says “We’ll have to make sure we eat it all today, won’t we? No more of these naughty foods after new year, we need to get our figures back!”

It’s probably not acceptable to tell Aunty Janice to fuck off.

If it is, I recommend it, as you’ll likely feel better.

However, in the event that you would NOT benefit from swearing at one of your elderly relatives (respect your elders, love!) then try this:

“I’m OK with my figure right now - I doubt I will be giving up desserts any time soon. But you enjoy yours!”

And then get as far away from Aunty Janice as possible.

Have you had a successful moment where you’ve shut down ‘new year, new me’ chat recently?

I’d love to hear about it so I can share it next week! I think we are in for a long season of conversations about bodies, so let’s make them positive ones - because my body, your body - every body is a good body.