Body Image Journaling Prompts: A Mindful Approach to Coping with Body Image Distress

Written by: Allyson Inez Ford, MA, LPCC

Body Image Healing Is ongoing work for most people in Eating Disorder Recovery.

One of the most common questions I get as an eating disorders therapist is: how do I learn to accept my body? And while I wish there was a quick answer to this, it is truly different for everyone. There is not one single magic coping skill that works for everyone and even when a coping skill resonates with you, it's going to take time, practice and lots of self-compassion to tune out the constant barrage of messages from the culture that our bodies are never good enough, never thin enough, never youthful enough (at least if you’re in your 30’s like me). The road to healing from body image distress is often lifelong- and I know that’s not the answer you want to hear. However, there will be seasons where it will feel quieter, and that makes this work all worth it.

Life transitions or periods of stress can make dormant body image issues suddenly flare up. This does not mean failure, trust me, this is something 99% of people in recovery experience over time. That being said, having strategies and supports to lean on during negative body image flares is crucial, that way you don’t turn to eating disorder behaviors or another similarly destructive coping mechanism strategy. Body image healing is also about building a relationship to your body, being able to offer it the same compassion you offer a friend, even if it frustrates you. Journaling is something that many of my clients find helpful for building a new relationship to their body and personally I do, too. I’ll share with you why, as well as some prompts below to get you started.

Why Journaling Helps With Body Image

As I mentioned earlier, body image struggles often intensify during periods of stress, change, anxiety, burnout, grief, or emotional overwhelm. When our nervous system is under strain, or we are dealing with unspeakable pain, the body sometimes (sadly) becomes the place where we project our emotions. Journaling offers a gentle, accessible way to slow this process down, and to process our emotions in a healthier way. Journaling helped me so much in my own recovery- and still to this day is something I practice for self care and emotion regulation.

Journaling, Mindfulness and personal agency

From a mindfulness perspective, journaling helps us create distance from our thoughts rather than judging or shaming ourselves for having them. When thoughts live only in our minds, they can feel urgent and absolute. Writing them down externalizes them, making it easier to observe patterns, notice emotional undercurrents, and respond with intention.

In this way, journaling becomes a form of mindfulness, which is a core principle of both acceptance and commitment therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy. Keeping a journal between therapy sessions can also help you get the most out of the therapeutic process. Sometimes, clients show up to therapy forgetting what they wanted to talk about, and having a journal from the prior week can help you feel more intentional about how you want to use your time in therapy.

Research consistently shows that mindfulness and expressive writing practices are associated with improved emotional regulation, reduced anxiety, and increased self-compassion. More importantly, they help restore a sense of agency — the ability to choose how we respond to our inner experiences rather than feeling controlled by them. The goal here isn’t to get rid of the distress but rather to create a relationship to it, so we can learn about our underlying emotions and needs. I always tell clients, body image distress is often a smoke signal for something deeper. Journaling about what was going on in our day when we started to feel bad in our bodies, can help us uncover what that deeper distress might be. This is how that new relationship to your body begins to form, as I mentioned in the opening part of this blog post!

Body Image Journal Prompts

I made these prompts to help clients have starting point when it comes to journaling. Use these prompts with curiosity, not judgment and please know- there are no right answers. You can come back to these questions any time you are experiencing a flare of body image distress, your answers are likely to be different in different seasons of life. I wrote some thoughts underneath, but feel free to take the questions and write your own answers!

1. What in my inner world might I be stressed, anxious, or upset about right now?
Body image distress is often a signal pointing toward something deeper. When we can identify the underlying emotions, we can also begin to explore what our needs are. This takes the focus off of our body. When we find an unmet need, we can try to meet it in a safe and compassionate way- common unmet needs that get projected onto the body: exhaustion, loneliness, sadness, fear, rejection, etc. Let’s say you were feeling lonely when you started feeling negative towards your body. The goal then, would be to write about that loneliness and strategies how to cope with it. Perhaps calling or FaceTiming a friend or family member? Or, looking through old photos of loved ones and remembering the special moments with them. The loneliness may still linger, and thats okay, but by doing something to directly cope with the underlying feeling, you are taking a big step forward in your recovery- plus, your body doesn’t deserve the negativity!

2. What situations, people, or feelings might have triggered my negative body image today?
This question brings context into the picture and reduces self-blame. Personally, I know I am prone to have negative body image thoughts if I am around someone who is really focused on their appearance. I hear this from many clients too. It’s hard not to question your own body when others around you are placing such a big importance on their body. Building awareness of who and what seem to trigger your distress can help you determine what boundaries you might need.

3. Is how I’m coping with this helping- or is it time to try something new?
Some coping skills feel like they help in the short term, but end up causing long term distress. Restricting might temporarily numb the pain of body image distress, but in the long run, chronic restriction leads to malnutrition, obsession with food, rigid behaviors, isolation, and even a full blown eating disorder. So just like you wouldn’t take an Advil for a brain tumor, you don’t want to use a short term coping skill for something much deeper. Journaling, talking to a friend, practicing self care, meeting with your therapist, making art, going for a nature walk, reading, or spending time with a pet are some ideas for healthier coping skills in response to body image distress.

4. When did I first learn that something was “wrong” with my body?
This can help uncover early messages from family, peers, culture, or systems. One of my favorite exercises to do with clients is to create a timeline of your body image story. From early childhood to present, I work with clients to explore what was going on in their lives, their families and their cultures during times when body image became so painful. This helps us externalize the distress versus hold it in our bodies or blame our appearance.

5. What systems or industries profit from my insecurities, and how can I actively resist them?
I have written many blog posts on this topic. I also have many podcast episodes on this topic with insightful guests. But to put it shortly, the world we live in is full of messages about what the “ideal” body is. This ideal is often thin, white, able, hetero and cisgender. When we don’t measure up to the ideal, we are made to feel less than. So it makes sense that we then seek out ways to try to gain acceptance. However, being accepted for your appearance versus your inside is a recipe for a life of misery. We also lose our authenticity in the process. Learning to trust that you are enough just as you are, and committing to resisting these systems, is empowering and life changing.

How Therapy Can Help With Body Image Struggles

While journaling can be a powerful tool, body image concerns are often shaped by our emotions, systemic pressures, trauma, and interpersonal relationships. Therapy provides a relational space to explore these layers safely and to build secure attachment, which is incredibly powerful for developing a sense of worth in your authentic self.

In therapy, you can:

• Understand the emotional and relational roots of body image distress

• Learn mindfulness-based coping skills (and other types of coping skills) to reduce the negativity you feel towards your body

• Build self-compassion without forcing body positivity

• Build a neutral and kind relationship to your body (this doesn’t mean you have to love it, just that you accept it as it is)

At Eating Disorder and OCD Therapy, we specialize in working with clients who struggle with eating disorders, OCD and body image issues. We would be honored to see if we are a good fit for you! Reach out to schedule a free consultation call.