It took me until I was in my 30’s to recognise the connection between my mind and my body. I had to deal first with the negative self-talk if I was going to be strong and healthy. If our minds are unsettled and tormented, over time this will manifest physically with our bodies undoubtedly reflecting that dis-ease.

From a very young age and into adulthood, I suffered with body dysmorphia. I’ve never actually written that before, even though I’ve mentally acknowledged it. At the age of 5, I twisted my ankle very badly and I overheard my mother saying how ‘terribly thin’ my legs were to the doctor, so I did everything I could to make them look bigger by piling on thick tights and socks in the middle of summer!

As a young woman, I convinced myself my tummy was too big for the rest of my body and would starve myself for days before going out to make it look flatter. I suffered with mild depression as a teenager, simply because my home life was so incredibly challenging, so dealing with my body issues was something I was ill equipped to do. I had no guidance or reassurance, just my own voice in my head telling me I wasn’t good enough. It took me until I was in my 30’s to recognise the connection between my mind and my body. I had to deal with the negative self-talk if I was going to have a strong and healthy body. If our minds are unsettled, over time, this will manifest physically with our bodies reflecting that dis-ease.

The stories we tell ourselves shape our lives and control our successes. Coacherapy helps us re-write those stories. We uncover their roots and focus on how we want our future to look, rather than how we have told ourselves it always will be. I respect and accept my body now as I never have done before; but it wasn’t a case of getting in the gym and training harder, it was changing the way I thought and learning to accept what I have and know that it’s enough. I still slip back to the old me occasionally. I am a work in progress!