Summer Body Image Issues: How to Stop Comparing Your Body to Others on Social Media

As social beings, we crave connection, and social media has made that connection more accessible than ever. We can stay in touch with family, share life updates with friends, and even connect with strangers around the world. However, while social media offers many benefits, it can also contribute to unhealthy self-comparison, especially during the summer season.

Why Summer Makes Body Image Struggles Worse

Summer tends to be a time when our feeds are filled with beach photos, “vacation vibes,” and images of bodies that may not reflect our own. When we're constantly exposed to highly curated images — especially those of celebrities and influencers — it's easy to fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others.

This kind of social comparison is normal to some extent, but when the constant exposure fuels it and highlight reels of social media, it can have serious effects. Research has shown that frequent social comparison can increase the risk of negative body image, low self-esteem, body dysmorphia, depression, and eating disorders (The Jed Foundation, n.d.). Adolescents and young adults are especially vulnerable to these distortions in how they view their bodies.

What Is Body Neutrality?

So how do we protect ourselves from the comparison trap? One helpful approach is practicing body neutrality. Body neutrality is the idea of approaching your body from a neutral perspective — not overly criticizing it, but also not feeling pressured to love it all the time. While body positivity can be empowering, it may feel unattainable on bad body image days. Body neutrality offers a middle ground: the freedom to simply accept your body as it is, without assigning it a moral value.

Instead of saying things like “I hate my body” or even “I love my body,” body neutrality encourages statements like:

• “I appreciate what my body can do.”

• “I respect my body.”

• “My body works hard for me every day.”

  
  

  This perspective can help reduce pressure and allow for greater emotional regulation. It also ties into mindfulness — acknowledging what is without judgment.

Click here for body-neutral affirmations by Project HEAL. Although originally created for eating disorder recovery, these affirmations are beneficial for anyone navigating body image concerns.

How To Practice Mindfulness and Compassion

Body neutrality emerged around 2015 as a response to both body-shaming and the sometimes unrealistic expectations of body positivity. This approach doesn’t suppress emotions or force positive thinking; instead, it encourages observation, acceptance, and self-respect.

As summer approaches, it's important to be mindful of the media you consume — but even more important to notice how it makes you feel. If you catch yourself spiraling into comparison, consider taking a break from social media. Curate your feed to include body-diverse content, and unfollow accounts that leave you feeling unworthy.

Don't Forget: Give Yourself Grace

Practicing body neutrality is just one step toward protecting your mental health during this season. Be compassionate with yourself. It's okay to have tough days. Acknowledge them, and gently guide yourself back to a place of balance.

And if it ever feels like too much to handle alone, therapy might be a supportive next step. At Wellness Tree Counseling, we offer individual therapy to help you navigate body image challenges, build confidence, and reconnect with your self-worth. If you're ready to begin your healing journey, book a screening call with us today.

Works Cited

• The Jed Foundation. (n.d.). Understanding social comparison on social media. https://jedfoundation.org/resource/understanding-social-comparison-on-social-media/

• Thiefels, J. (2024). 20 body neutrality affirmations for disordered eating healing. Project HEAL. https://www.theprojectheal.org/blog/body-neutrality-affirmations

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Our mission at Wellness Tree Counseling is to promote wellness through a culturally sensitive lens so that individuals, families and communities are encouraged to rise to their full potential and engage life in meaningful ways.

Our vision is to provide the BIPOC community with comprehensive holistic care that empowers and equips them with skills to work toward improved mental health and well-being. We take great pride in treating the whole-person.

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