Your Body is Your Home

Your body is your home.

I think about this a lot. It was one of the most helpful ideas for me in my own eating disorder recovery. Acknowledging that I only have one body and it is the body that I will have for my entire life made me rethink the way I was treating it.

I spent years disrespecting my body, abusing it with overexercise and neglecting to offer it the nourishment and rest it needed. I desperately wanted a new “home”, a serious renovation. But this is what I realized: living in a body you don’t like doesn’t change the fact that it is the only body you have. And you can’t hate yourself into a body that you’ll like—it just doesn’t work that way. It’s like living in an apartment without hanging art on the walls or getting furniture you like because you’re always waiting to move into a better place. It’s not very comfortable.

When I started taking care of my body, my relationship with myself and my "home" changed. I didn’t necessarily love my body, there are still times I don’t, but I accept that this is the body I have and that it is good and healthy and strong and imperfect. It is a home I have come to enjoy and feel safe in and one that I am committed to taking care of for the rest of my life.

Artwork by: @littlearthlings via instagram