575. Prioritizing Mental Health, Body Neutrality + Knowing What’s in Your Supplements

Perfectionism

Jess Sepel shares her journey of overcoming perfectionism and how it has shaped her success. She emphasizes that traits often viewed as negative, like perfectionism and self-critique, can be strengths when managed properly. Krista Williams adds that understanding the root causes of one's relationship with food can help manage external pressures and stress 1. Jess highlights the importance of sitting with discomfort and imperfection, a practice she finds crucial for mental health 2.

Sitting with yourself right now and feeling imperfect, that feels uncomfortable. But we need to get more comfortable with that.

--- Jess Sepel

This approach helps in managing anxiety, trauma, and OCD tendencies, ultimately improving one's relationship with food and self-esteem.

   

Imperfection

Embracing imperfection is a recurring theme in Jess's philosophy. She discusses the unrealistic body standards perpetuated by social media and the importance of accepting one's body as it is. Jess recounts her personal journey towards body neutrality, including the symbolic act of throwing away her scale to liberate herself from the tyranny of numbers 3.

I'm not striving to have a six-pack anymore. The number on the scale literally determined my self-worth.

--- Jess Sepel

She encourages others to find peace with their bodies by focusing on health and well-being rather than perfection 4.

   

Relationships

Healthy relationships play a crucial role in body image and mental health. Jess opens up about the loss of her best friend to mental health issues and how it profoundly impacted her own mental health journey. She stresses the importance of therapy and open communication in coping with such traumas 5.

My mom has always believed that being in therapy is not a luxury. It's like drinking your water and eating your breakfast, lunch, and dinners.

--- Jess Sepel

Krista and Jess also discuss the concept of overgiving in relationships and the need to set boundaries to maintain emotional well-being 6.

   

Social Media

Social media's influence on body image is undeniable, and Jess offers insights on balancing privacy and visibility. She expresses concerns about the cost of oversharing and the pressure to maintain a public persona 7. Jess advises setting boundaries to protect one's mental health and personal life.

How do you protect the intimacy when you're sharing everything all the time?

--- Jess Sepel

Krista and Jess also touch on the importance of mindful social media use to mitigate its negative impacts on body image and mental health 8.