Tracing the Messages That Shaped Your Body Image
Identifying and Evaluating External Influences
Tracing the Messages That Shaped Your Body Image
Identifying and Evaluating External Influences
Tracing the Messages That Shaped Your Body Image
Identifying and Evaluating External Influences
Throughout your life, you have absorbed countless messages about your body from the people and culture around you. Some messages were spoken directly, such as a compliment or a critical remark. Others were more subtle, communicated through images, social norms, or the unspoken attitudes of those close to you. Many of these messages were internalized without conscious evaluation. This exercise helps you identify the most influential body-related messages you have received, examine their sources, and decide whether they are worth keeping.
- Each row names one place body messages come from. In the middle column, write the strongest messages you picked up there about your body, weight, shape or looks. Write them the way you heard them, like "You'd be so pretty if you lost a little weight." Leave a row blank if nothing comes to mind.
- In the last column, note whether each message has helped or hurt the way you see your body, and why. Answer honestly. The point is simply to notice.
- Then use the boxes below to decide what to keep and what to let go.
| Source | Messages Received | Helpful or Harmful? Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Family: parents, siblings, relatives | ||
| Friends, classmates and coworkers | ||
| Partners and dating | ||
| Media and social media: ads, shows, influencers | ||
| Doctors, coaches and teachers | ||
| Culture, community or faith |
One message I want to keep, and why
One message I'm ready to let go of, and what I'd rather tell myself instead
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Common Questions
What is the Tracing the Messages That Shaped Your Body Image worksheet?
Throughout your life, you have absorbed countless messages about your body from the people and culture around you. Some messages were spoken directly, such as a compliment or a critical remark. Others were more subtle, communicated through images, social norms, or the unspoken attitudes of those close to you.
How do I use the Tracing the Messages That Shaped Your Body Image worksheet?
Fill out this worksheet digitally or print it for use in session. You can save your progress with a Pro account. Take your time with each column — there are no right or wrong answers.
Is the Tracing the Messages That Shaped Your Body Image worksheet free?
Yes. Like every worksheet on Therapy Resource, it is free to read, print, and download as a PDF, no account required. A Pro subscription adds online filling with saved progress, practice-branded PDF exports, and secure client sharing.
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