Be grateful today for your body

We talk a lot on Justb. about women, whether we judge women more than men, women being bitey, magazines making us feel like we should have body issues …

And this is good. This is really good. We’re talking. It’s making us think. It’s making us really work on our collective self-confidence.

I know this is something I battle with my head on a daily basis. Do you?

How’s your relationship going with your body today?

How was it yesterday?

I’ve been reading and dipping into Amanda Gore’s new book, The Gift of Gratitude, over the past couple of weeks and I’ve got to hand to to Amanda, she knows how to get inside my head (and probably yours) … very quickly.

I know Amanda and I’ve heard her speak. She is uproariously funny and supremely inspirational (seriously, if she wasn’t doing this GREAT stuff and speaking all around the world, she could be a stand-up comedian).

She just cuts to the chase. And I like that in a woman. Very much.

The Gift of Gratitude is one of those books you should carry around in your handbag, leave on your bedside table or your desk. Somewhere where you can just pick it up, open it and see what “message” you need today.

I'm grateful I got to read this book at the beach

Today, I thought we could be collectively grateful for our bodies. A Justb. gratitude session, if you like.

Amanda has included daily gratitude exercises at the end of her book and being grateful for our bodies is one of them.

Here’s part of what she suggests:

Your mission today is to spend the entire day expressing gratitude to your body!

You are to say nothing negative, no matter what your stomach, thighs or face look like!

Treat your body with respect, give it grace, love it, and tell it how thankful you are for it.

“It’s so sad that people only really learn to be grateful for what their bodies are, or do, when they become unwell or disabled in some way. Appreciate the enormous job your body does for you every single moment you are alive,” says Amanda.

She says that stress busters are an essential part of being grateful for you body, so today, why not try one (or more!) of her ideas?

• Book a massage
• Go for a walk
• Have a bath and detox your body
• Rest
• Deep breathe
• Turn off all phones and any other electrical thing for 30 minutes
• Sit in the sun for 20 minutes
• Meditate or listen to music
• Laugh: watch a comedy movie

There’s so much more in the book but this is a good start, don’t you think? Do you think you can do it? Do you think you can be grateful for you body? Today … and tomorrow … and the next?

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PPS. Over on my Styling You blog, I’m talking future beauty products, what’s coming out and what I’m liking.