Love Notes to Your Body: Rewriting the Way You See Yourself
Written by: Sian Bitner-Kearney
If you’ve ever stood in front of a mirror and immediately zoomed in on the things you don’t like about your body… congratulations, you’re human. You’re also doing more harm to your brain, and your self-confidence, than you may know.
It’s time to break up with that habit. Your body has been out here doing the absolute most for you, and it deserves more than side‑eye and silent criticism. It deserves love notes. The kind you’d write to someone you adore.
This February, while the world is busy obsessing over roses and romance, let’s shift the spotlight, and talk about the relationship that sets the tone for every other one in your life: the one you have with your body.
Why We Need to Rewrite the Narrative
Here’s a wild fact: according to the National Organization for Women, 80% of women report being unhappy with their appearance at some point in their lives. And it’s not because our bodies are doing anything wrong. It’s because we’ve been trained to see ourselves through a lens that was never designed to celebrate us.
Beauty standards shift every decade, sometimes every year, and trying to keep up is like trying to run a marathon in heels. It’s exhausting, unnecessary, and honestly, a little ridiculous. So, let’s do something radical. Let’s rewrite the script!
love notes to the Body You Live In
Imagine if you spoke to your body the way you speak to your best friend or even a lover. You wouldn’t say things like, “Your thighs are too big,” or “Your belly is fat” or “Your arms are huge.” You’d hype them up, remind them they are magic, and celebrate them – from the inside out.
Why should it be any different for you? This month, carve out a little space just for yourself and start writing love notes to the parts of you that deserve more kindness. They don’t have to be fancy, they can be quiet thoughts you whisper to yourself, a Post‑it on your wall, a message scrawled in lipstick on your bathroom mirror, or a full‑on handwritten letter on the prettiest stationery you own.
These are your love notes. Write them in whatever way feels the most honest, the most tender, and the most impactful for you. Your body has been trying to connect with you your whole life, it’s time you finally showed it some love and attention. Need a little inspiration? We’ve got you covered!
To Your Skin: Thank you for being my first line of defense, even when I forget sunscreen, skip my routine, or fall asleep with makeup on (my bad, truly). You stretch, heal, glow, and protect me without asking for much in return. You’ve carried every bruise, every breakout, every scar, every moment of softness and strength, and you’re still here, showing up for me every single day.
To Your Face: Thank you for telling my story before I ever say a word. You’ve carried every smile, every tear, every late night, every early morning, and every emotion in between. You’ve changed, grown, softened, and strengthened with me. You hold my expressions, my history, my joy, and my resilience. You’re the first thing the world sees, and somehow, you still manage to show up with grace even on the days I don’t feel like myself. You deserve to be met with love, not scrutiny.
To Your Stomach: Thank you for holding me up, holding me together, and holding space for every laugh, every meal, every butterfly, and every deep breath. You’ve expanded, contracted, fluttered with nerves, and dropped with excitement. You’ve been a home for joy, nourishment, and life itself. You deserve so much more love than the criticism you’ve been given.
To Your Legs: Thank you for carrying me through days I didn’t think I could get through, for walking me into new chapters, and for standing firm when life tried to knock me down. You’ve danced, sprinted, stumbled, stretched, and kept moving forward even when the rest of me felt stuck. You are strength in motion.
To Your Arms: Thank you for hugging the people I love, for holding on when I needed grounding, and for lifting everything from groceries to emotional baggage. You’ve wrapped around friends, carried burdens, and reached for dreams. You are comfort, capability, and connection all in one.
To Your Heart: Thank you for beating through heartbreak, joy, stress, excitement, and everything in between. You’ve kept rhythm through sleepless nights, big decisions, quiet mornings, and loud emotions. You’ve loved deeply, lost bravely, and kept going even when it hurt. You are the bravest part of me.
The Ripple Effect of Loving Yourself
When you start treating your body with compassion, everything shifts. Your confidence rises, your relationships deepen, and your energy changes. And the best part? Loving your body isn’t just about you. It gives everyone around you permission to do the same. That’s the kind of empowerment that spreads.
Every scar, stretch mark, curve, and freckle is a receipt of survival. They are reminders that you’ve lived, loved, lost, grown, fought, healed, and kept going.
No matter what words you choose for your love notes, remember this: your body is not an ornament. It’s a brilliant instrument, powerful, resilient, beautifully imperfect, and it’s been playing your song since day one. All you have to do is quiet your mind long enough to hear it.