Prioritize spending money on your mental health (e.g., therapy) over external appearance products, as it is the single greatest investment that guarantees to fill voids and make you happier.
Actively protect your mind by being wary of social media and news, reducing exposure to negativity, and cutting out toxic people to safeguard your delicate mental well-being.
Explore Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy if struggling with trauma or eating disorders, as it can recondition your brain by making distressing thoughts mundane and breaking negative patterns.
Be ruthless in setting and enforcing personal boundaries, giving one chance for behavioral change, then cutting off individuals (even family) who repeatedly disrespect your needs.
Shift your mindset to body neutrality, viewing your body as a functional vehicle and a respected ‘best friend’ rather than obsessing over its appearance, fostering respect over love or hate.
Actively curate your social media feed by unfollowing anyone who makes you feel bad and instead follow accounts that are nourishing, funny, educational, or inspiring, using ‘block, mute, delete, repeat.’
Withhold algorithmic attention (likes, follows) from companies, magazines, and individuals that perpetuate unattainable beauty standards and diet culture, as this reaffirms their demand and power.
Refrain from editing your photographs before posting online, as creating a digitally altered image sets up a dangerous gap between your real self and online persona, leading to increased self-hate.
Refuse to conform to unequal or excessive beauty standards, particularly in professional settings, by setting boundaries on time spent on appearance to protect your mental well-being and challenge societal expectations.
Reduce your exposure to full-length mirrors or mirrors in general within your home to lessen preoccupation with body image and foster self-acceptance.
Prioritize your mental health by refusing career opportunities (e.g., jobs requiring weight loss) that you know would trigger unhealthy behaviors or send you into a mental health spiral.
Adopt a stance of not forgetting or forgiving past harms to protect yourself from future incidents, while remaining open to accepting new, changed behavior from individuals and moving forward.
Only extend grace and move forward with individuals who demonstrate significant, radical effort and time invested in changing their problematic behavior.
For men, stop consuming pornography and curate social media feeds to broaden your attraction to a wider range of people, which can lead to more fulfilling and exciting relationships.
Download the 10% Happier app and join the anti-diet challenge to learn intuitive eating and build a better relationship with food and your body, supercharged by meditation.
Embrace a mindset of continuous learning by openly seeking knowledge from experts and admitting when you don’t know something, rather than pretending to be an expert.
Seek out or create safe online and offline spaces where individuals can ask difficult questions about social justice and mental health without fear of judgment for their current level of knowledge.
Share your personal mental health learnings and experiences with others, especially those who may not have access to traditional support systems, to help them feel less alone.
Advocate for a more organized and nuanced approach to ‘cancel culture’ that incorporates rehabilitation, redemption, and a tiered system for offenses, rather than blanket ostracization.
Follow @I_WEIGH on Instagram and listen to the I Weigh podcast for a diverse range of mental health support, education, and community engagement.
Utilize guided meditations, available on apps like ‘10% with Dan Harris,’ to help manage stress, anxiety, improve sleep, focus, and cultivate self-compassion.