How to Navigate Summer Body Image Triggers

As the temperature rises, so does the pressure to change our bodies. Social media is filled with “bikini body” ads. Clothing racks overflow with shorts, crop tops, and swimsuits. And suddenly, a walk outside or a trip to the pool doesn’t feel so simple anymore.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or uncomfortable in your body this summer, you’re not alone and nothing is wrong with you. The problem isn’t your body. The problem is the unrealistic standards and body-based expectations we’ve been conditioned to internalize.

Why Summer Triggers Body Image Struggles

Even if you’ve done a lot of work healing your relationship with food and your body, summer can bring up old wounds. Here’s why:

• Clothing changes: Warm weather means less coverage, and many of us feel more exposed – physically and emotionally.
• Diet culture peaks: “Summer shred,” “clean eating,” and “get in shape” messaging floods timelines and conversations.
• Social comparison increases: Beach trips, pool parties, and summer photos can heighten comparison and body-checking.
• Old habits re-emerge: This season may be tied to previous dieting cycles or appearance-based goals.

Understanding that these reactions are normal and valid is the first step to softening them.

Body Image Is Not About Vanity – It’s About Safety

At its core, body image struggles aren’t just about how we look, they’re about how safe, accepted, and worthy we feel in our bodies. If you feel anxious about being seen or judged, it’s not because you’re shallow. It’s because your brain is trying to protect you from harm, rejection, or shame. 

Here are practical strategies you can use to care for your body image this season:

Wear What Feels Good, Not What “Should” Be Worn

Prioritize comfort over conformity. Let go of sizes and labels. If you need to size up, it means your clothes no longer serve your body, not the other way around.

• Tip: Try a “fit check” instead of a “mirror check” ask yourself, “Can I move, breathe, and live in this outfit comfortably?”

Prioritize comfort over conformity. Let go of sizes and labels. If you need to size up, it means your clothes no longer serve your body, not the other way around. If you’re not ready to donate or give away, consider storing them out of sight to reduce daily stress.

When buying and trying on clothes take multiple sizes into the dressing room, at least three, and start with the largest. Clothing sizes vary wildly across brands. If that size doesn’t fit, you avoid the shame spiral of “sizing up” multiple times.

This can reduce time spent in distress and help you focus on fit and comfort, not the tag.

Clothing should fit you – you don’t need to change to fit into it.

Finding clothes that fit and affirm you shouldn’t be a struggle. Here are some brands that offer styles for all kinds of bodies, without the pressure of fitting a mold:

• Universal Standard – Size-inclusive, elevated basics in sizes 00–40+
• Loud Bodies – Ethically made, stylish, size-inclusive fashion offering sizes XXS-10XL
• Good American – Known for jeans, inclusive sizing, and body-positive messaging
• Free Label – Ethical, Canadian-made, ultra-soft and inclusive clothing in sizes XS-5X
• Cider – Trendy, affordable options in a wide range of styles. Note that sizing can be inconsistent and stops at 4X
• Halara – Great for activewear, tall folks, and sweat-friendly summer styles
• Madewell – Offers tall sizing and denim with a broader fit range
• Girlfriend Collective – Sustainable, size-inclusive activewear in vibrant colors and soft fabrics offering sizes XXS-6XL
• The Garment Project – A nonprofit organization that provides free clothing, with size tags removed, to people in eating disorder recovery, helping them find clothes that support healing

Clothing is a tool for expression, safety, and comfort – not a test of discipline or size.

Reduce Body Checking and Comparison

Body checking is a behavior many people engage in without even realizing it. It can look like:

• Frequently looking in mirrors or reflective surfaces
• Pinching or measuring parts of your body
• Trying on clothes repeatedly to assess changes
• Weighing yourself often
• Comparing your body to others in person or online

While these behaviors may feel like they give a sense of control, they often increase anxiety, body preoccupation, and dissatisfaction over time. And in summer, when bodies are more visible, these urges can become stronger.

Body checking is often an attempt to:

• Reassure ourselves that we haven’t changed
• Gauge our worth or progress
• Cope with anxiety or discomfort in our bodies

Tips to Reduce Body Checking:

• Limit mirror time or cover mirrors on tough days.
• Wear comfortable clothing. Tight or uncomfortable clothing can heighten the urge to monitor your body. Opt for clothes that give you room to breathe – literally and emotionally.
• Set boundaries with appearance-focused social media (mute, unfollow, or limit time).
• Build awareness without judgment, consider: What triggered it? What emotion are you feeling? Simply bringing awareness can start to break the cycle.
• Redirect with a grounding activity when you feel the urge to check try taking a short walk, listening to music, running cold water over your hands or naming 5 things you see and hear.

Your body is not a project to manage – it’s a home to support.

Set Boundaries Around Body Talk and Diet Culture

Summer brings out comments from well-meaning (or not-so-well-meaning) people. Prepare some scripts in advance:

• “I’m not focused on weight or diets this summer – I’m working on being present and caring for myself.”
• “I’m trying to be kind to my body right now, so I’d rather not talk about what I’m wearing or how I look.”
• “Can we not talk about diets or weight? It’s not helpful for me.”

You’re allowed to protect your peace.

Shifting Out of Comparison

Social comparison is one of the biggest drivers of body dissatisfaction. In summer, when photos, swimsuits, and filtered posts are everywhere, it’s easy to start asking, “Why don’t I look like that?”

Here’s how to begin gently shifting away from comparison:

• Curate Your Social Media. Mute or unfollow accounts that trigger comparison or promote unrealistic ideals. Fill your feed with body-diverse, affirming content, including accounts that celebrate lived experiences, not just appearances.
• Notice the Narrative – ask yourself:
  • What am I making this mean about me?
  • Is this based on facts or fear?
  • What do I value about myself that has nothing to do with how I look?
• Come Back to Your Own Body. Reconnect to what your body feels instead of how it looks. Honoring those needs is an act of body respect. Ask:
  • Am I tired?
  • Am I hot or cold?
  • Am I thirsty, hungry, or in need of rest?
• Practice an Affirming Reframe 
  • “There is no one right way to have a summer body.”
  • “My worth is not diminished by someone else’s appearance.”
  • “Their beauty doesn’t take away from mine or my value.”

Practice Body Neutrality and Self-Compassion

You don’t have to love your body in every outfit or situation. You just have to care for it, and treat it with basic respect.

• Affirmations to try:
  • “My body deserves comfort and care just as it is.”
  • “Feeling uncomfortable doesn’t mean I’ve done something wrong.”
  • “I can have hard body image days and still show up for my life.”

Anchor in Joy, Not Appearance

Shift focus away from how your body looks and toward what it allows you to experience. Try journaling or reflecting on:

• What do I want to feel this summer (free, playful, peaceful)?
• What experiences matter to me more than how I look in them?
• How can I support those experiences today, regardless of how I feel in my body?

Final Thoughts

Summer body image struggles are real. We live in a culture that profits off insecurity and thinness. Of course it’s hard. 

But there is another way.

This summer, you don’t have to shrink to belong.
You don’t have to love your body every day to deserve softness, safety, and joy.
You don’t have to miss out.
Your body is already summer-ready because you’re already worthy.

You don’t need to earn rest, summer clothes, or joy through how your body looks.
Your energy is precious. Let’s spend less of it checking and comparing and more of it living.

If you would like to work directly with a dietitian at Eat Well Collective, feel free to contact us or schedule directly here.