Body Neutrality | BASE for YES
Welcome 🦋
This course is about feeling better in your body.
It's free — and completely anonymous.
Before we begin, a quick note:
We are a nonprofit and your data is anonymous — we do not collect any personally identifiable information unless you choose to share it. We may use your anonymous data to improve our services or conduct academic research.
Choose "I agree" below if you agree to the terms of service and warrant that you are 13 years of age or older.
Now we’ll ask just a few questions about how you’re feeling right now.
Please share how much you agree or disagree with the following statements based on how you're feeling right now, in this moment.
I feel that the future is hopeless and that things cannot improve.
My future seems dark to me.
Things just won’t work out the way I want them to.
There’s no use in really trying to get something I want, because I probably won’t get it.
At this moment, how ready are you to work towards improving your mental health?
Thank you for answering these questions 💞
Now let's get started...
Here's what others said about this program:
"I think it’s a really simple but beautiful way to change perspective and I really enjoyed the topic/lesson of this."
"As someone a year in recovery, i appreciate this activity 🙂"
"I wish I had found this so much sooner, it hit every single spot I didn’t know needed to be hit. It highlighted every thought I felt invalidated about."
OK, one last question:
How many young people do you think are unhappy with their bodies?
Correct.
About half of young people feel unhappy with their bodies...
Actually...
About half of young people feel unhappy with their bodies...
You may have heard about body positivity as a solution.
People say well-meaning things like "love yourself just the way you are!"
Body positivity encourages us to love the ways our bodies look, but this just doesn't work for everyone...
Here's why body positivity doesn't work for some people:
"I get bullied for my weight, so it feels really hard to love my body.”
"My friends' diet talk makes me feel like I should be trying to change my body too."
"I can't get gender-affirming surgery for a few years, so my body makes me uncomfortable."
"My body hurts a lot because of my disability - I can't love that about my body.”
Here's what happens:
We're told that looks matter, so we compare ourselves to others...
But that doesn't make a lot of sense because we're all built to look different!
Even if we all ate the same foods and did the same exercises, we would still not weigh or look the same.
That's because everyone's genes give them their own unique bone structure, body size, shape, and weight.
So, if our bodies are built this way from the inside out, how can we find a healthier way to live in them?
And how do we deal with advice to “just love yourself” when that feels out of reach?
Introducing body neutrality
Body neutrality is about valuing your body for what it does, like what it helps you enjoy in life.
It also means recognizing that who you are is made up of so much more than your appearance.
It works even if you're not happy with how your body looks all the time...
Here’s the thing: you don’t have to love your body to feel better in it.
To explain, let's focus on puppies for a moment...
Meet Sadie. She's a 6-month-old puppy.
She loves to chase squirrels...
Eat treats...
Pee on things...
...and play in the dog park.
Sadie is very healthy, but she sometimes worries about her teeth.
She wonders why she has that one goofy tooth...
How could Sadie adopt a body neutrality mindset?
What could she say to herself?
Great suggestion! 🎉
Now we'll show you some stories from people like you. Let's help them develop a Body Neutrality mindset.
Pick a struggle that resonates with you
This person said:
"I have a curve in my spine (scoliosis), so I wear a back brace over my clothes. People ask about it, and all the attention on my body makes me uncomfortable. Sometimes I layer up just to avoid the comments."
How do you want to help this person?
What might they say to themselves if they had a body neutrality mindset?
Remember—body neutrality is all about:
Appreciating and respecting what your body can do, not just how it looks.
Being realistic, open-minded, and kind — not harsh or judgmental.
Most importantly, reminding yourself that your appearance doesn’t define your worth.
(Just write a few words, don't overthink it!)
Here are a few ideas!
What's one thing they could say to themselves?
Thanks for helping! Here's what they decided to do:
"Learning about body neutrality helped me become my own advocate. Now, I ask people to stop commenting on my body and steer conversations toward my interests. Scoliosis can be frustrating, but it led me to therapeutic horseback riding—something I now love."
This person said:
"I spend two hours getting ready each morning to make sure I look perfect. This cuts into my sleep and makes me late for school. People compliment how I look, but I feel like I need more and more praise just to feel okay."
How do you want to help?
What might they say to themselves if they had a body neutrality mindset?
Remember—body neutrality is all about:
Appreciating and respecting what your body can do, not just how it looks.
Being realistic, open-minded, and kind — not harsh or judgmental.
Most importantly, reminding yourself that your appearance doesn’t define your worth.
(Just write a few words, don't overthink it!)
Here are a few ideas!
What's one thing they could say to themselves?
Thanks for helping! Here's what they decided to do:
"Learning about body neutrality helped me see how much worrying about my appearance was taking away from sleep, school, and fun. Now I set a timer when getting ready and use sticky notes with affirmations to boost my self-esteem."
This person said:
"I lost both my arms in a car accident a few years ago. Before that, I was confident and loved sports. Since the amputation, I’ve felt more shy and isolated. When I look in the mirror, I see a weak and broken person."
How do you want to help?
What might they say to themselves if they had a body neutrality mindset?
Remember—body neutrality is all about:
Appreciating and respecting what your body can do, not just how it looks.
Being realistic, open-minded, and kind — not harsh or judgmental.
Most importantly, reminding yourself that your appearance doesn’t define your worth.
(Just write a few words, don't overthink it!)
Here are a few ideas!
What's one thing they could say to themselves?
Thanks for helping! Here's what they decided to do:
"Learning about body neutrality helped me realize my negative thoughts were shaped by ableist stereotypes—not my fault, but something I can challenge. I also figured out what my body can do and joined a cross-country team which I love."
This person said:
"A few months ago, I started puberty and growing breasts, which made me really uncomfortable because I don’t always feel like a girl. I asked my mom for a binder, but she told me to just love my body the way it is."
How do you want to help?
What might they say to themselves if they had a body neutrality mindset?
Remember—body neutrality is all about:
Appreciating and respecting what your body can do, not just how it looks.
Being realistic, open-minded, and kind — not harsh or judgmental.
Most importantly, reminding yourself that your appearance doesn’t define your worth.
(Just write a few words, don't overthink it!)
Here are a few ideas!
What's one thing they could say to themselves?
Thanks for helping! Here's what they decided to do:
"Learning about body neutrality through an online forum for trans and non-binary people helped me feel less alone. I’m still learning to feel okay in my body. Lately, I focus more on what I can do with it—like enjoying ice cream with friends today."
This person said:
"I’m bigger than others in my grade. They say I should start lifting weights and cut carbs to burn fat into muscle. I feel a lot of pressure."
How do you want to help?
What might they say to themselves if they had a body neutrality mindset?
Remember—body neutrality is all about:
Appreciating and respecting what your body can do, not just how it looks.
Being realistic, open-minded, and kind — not harsh or judgmental.
Most importantly, reminding yourself that your appearance doesn’t define your worth.
(Just write a few words, don't overthink it!)
Here are a few ideas!
What's one thing they could say to themselves?
Thanks for helping! Here's what they decided to do:
"Learning about body neutrality helped me become my own advocate. My doctor said I’m at a healthy weight and encouraged me to keep enjoying how I eat and exercise. When people talk about extreme diets or workouts, I change the subject."
This person said:
"I just don’t feel beautiful. I scroll through Instagram, see people who look better than me, and then a body positivity post telling me to love myself. Maybe losing weight or dressing differently would help."
How do you want to help?
What might they say to themselves if they had a body neutrality mindset?
Remember—body neutrality is all about:
Appreciating and respecting what your body can do, not just how it looks.
Being realistic, open-minded, and kind — not harsh or judgmental.
Most importantly, reminding yourself that your appearance doesn’t define your worth.
(Just write a few words, don't overthink it!)
Here are a few ideas!
What's one thing they could say to themselves?
Thanks for helping! Here's what they decided to do:
“I unfollowed the body positivity influencers and started following influencers who talk about body neutrality instead. I’ve also realized that weight loss won’t fix how I feel about my body and wouldn’t be healthy for me anyway.”
This person said:
"I’ve spent years hating my body and going on diets. Now I’m working with a therapist and dietitian to recover from an eating disorder. I’m eating more and know weight gain is part of recovery, but it’s still hard to accept how I look."
How do you want to help?
What might they say to themselves if they had a body neutrality mindset?
Remember—body neutrality is all about:
Appreciating and respecting what your body can do, not just how it looks.
Being realistic, open-minded, and kind — not harsh or judgmental.
Most importantly, reminding yourself that your appearance doesn’t define your worth.
(Just write a few words, don't overthink it!)
Here are a few ideas!
What's one thing they could say to themselves?
Thanks for helping! Here's what they decided to do:
"Learning about body neutrality gave me empowering goals during my eating disorder recovery. Instead of focusing on body shape or weight, I keep a gratitude journal to note what my body does for me. Bad body image days still happen, but less often now."
This person said:
"I started hitting the gym to bulk up, but I’m never satisfied with how my body looks. I work out for three hours a day which leaves me exhausted and injured. I’ve skipped outings with friends to work out and my dad says I’m too obsessed with exercise.”
How do you want to help?
What might they say to themselves if they had a body neutrality mindset?
Remember—body neutrality is all about:
Appreciating and respecting what your body can do, not just how it looks.
Being realistic, open-minded, and kind — not harsh or judgmental.
Most importantly, reminding yourself that your appearance doesn’t define your worth.
(Just write a few words, don't overthink it!)
Here are a few ideas!
What's one thing they could say to themselves?
Thanks for helping! Here's what they decided to do:
"Learning about body neutrality helped me rethink exercise. I still go to the gym because it helps my mood, but I’ve cut back and spend more time with friends and on self-care. I make sure my body has rest and fuel to do the things I enjoy since that matters more than how I look."
This person said:
“I’ve been binge eating. It usually happens when I don’t eat a lot during the day. I’ll eat dinner but keep eating more portions and then snacks way past the point of feeling full, and it feels like I can’t stop. I’m so ashamed and I hate how it makes me feel about my body.”
How do you want to help?
What might they say to themselves if they had a body neutrality mindset?
Remember—body neutrality is all about:
Appreciating and respecting what your body can do, not just how it looks.
Being realistic, open-minded, and kind — not harsh or judgmental.
Most importantly, reminding yourself that your appearance doesn’t define your worth.
(Just write a few words, don't overthink it!)
Here are a few ideas!
What's one thing they could say to themselves?
Thanks for helping! Here's what they decided to do:
“Learning about body neutrality helped me realize that shaming myself kept me stuck in a cycle of restricting and bingeing. I’m focusing on giving my body what it needs and not labelling it as “good” or “bad.” I still struggle, but I’m gentle with myself when binges happen.”
This person said:
“No matter how much I try to love myself, I just don’t like my appearance. I look into the mirror, and I cringe at the reflection. When I’m out in public, I think about how other people must be judging me for how I look. I hate my body and I hate myself.”
How do you want to help?
What might they say to themselves if they had a body neutrality mindset?
Remember—body neutrality is all about:
Appreciating and respecting what your body can do, not just how it looks.
Being realistic, open-minded, and kind — not harsh or judgmental.
Most importantly, reminding yourself that your appearance doesn’t define your worth.
(Just write a few words, don't overthink it!)
Here are a few ideas!
What's one thing they could say to themselves?
Thanks for helping! Here's what they decided to do:
“Learning about body neutrality helped me take some focus off how I look. I still have negative thoughts about my appearance, but instead of dwelling on them, I think about how my body helps me do so many things that I enjoy. I see the bigger picture now: I’m more than what meets the eye.”
Now it's time to try it yourself!
Up next: Take actions to fight back against negative thoughts about your body.
Let's practice! What has your body allowed you to enjoy recently?
Now, choose a negative thought you've had about your body:
When you have negative thoughts like that, you can use body neutral thoughts to help fight back against them...
Choose a body neutral thought that might work for you:
You're almost done! Time for a quick puppy break...
One more thing: this stuff isn’t always easy.
Lots of people in our world are treated unfairly because of their body size, disabilities, or skin color — and this can make us feel bad about our own bodies.
Embracing a body neutrality mindset isn't going to make these issues disappear...
But your body neutrality mindset is a powerful step towards change...
To stay strong and take care of yourself when it gets tough, you can hold onto a coping statement.
Choose the one that feels most meaningful to you.
Here's your personal action plan!
✏️ CHALLENGING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS:
When I have a negative thought about my body like, “{{field:474f7ef0-0b12-47ea-9d1a-f774ba8daa57}}” I have the power to challenge that thought.
Instead, I can think, “{{field:55f81bfd-d5fb-4c6a-81ae-2560b1b6b8ec}}” and remind myself of the things my body helps me do that I appreciate: {{field:7e381ff9-2b97-43f1-ba94-298cd5ed4c96}}.
💪 COPING THROUGH HARD MOMENTS:
If being a body neutrality advocate gets tough, I can find strength in my coping statement:
“{{field:9d6ea698-9e74-4dbb-9187-dedd09d46ad3}}”
Take a SCREENSHOT 📸 so you can remember it 🤗
Thank you! Almost done, let's finish strong!
Now we’ll ask just a few questions about how you’re feeling right now.
Please share how much you agree or disagree with the following statements based on how you're feeling right now, in this moment.
I feel that the future is hopeless and that things cannot improve.
My future seems dark to me.
Things just won’t work out the way I want them to.
There’s no use in really trying to get something I want, because I probably won’t get it.
At this moment, how ready are you to work towards improving your mental health?
Please tell us how much you agree with each statement.
"I enjoyed the course."
Please tell us how much you agree with each statement.
"I understood the course."
Please tell us how much you agree with each statement.
"The course was easy to use."
Please tell us how much you agree with each statement.
"I tried my hardest during the course."
Please tell us how much you agree with each statement.
"I think the course would be helpful to others my age."
Please tell us how much you agree with each statement.
"I would recommend this course to a friend going through a hard time."
Please tell us how much you agree with each statement.
"I agree with the course's message."
How satisfied are you with this course?
Thank you for your time!
What are some things you liked about this course?
I liked that this course...
What are some things you would change about this course?
I wish you'd improve on...
