This Mindful Moment: Unpacking Summer Body Pressure

Summer has a way of stirring up old stories.

You see the swimsuit ads, the before-and-after posts, the “get your body ready” headlines—and something inside you tightens.

You might start thinking about food a little more. Or moving your body a little less gently.

You might feel like you’re suddenly on display—not just at the pool, but everywhere.

It’s not just about swimsuits or shorts.

It’s about the quiet pressure to fix yourself.

To shrink.

To disappear a little in order to feel worthy.

And for so many people we work with, summer can be one of the hardest times of the year.

When Summer Triggers Old Patterns

At Beyond the Mirror Counseling & Wellness, we hear it all the time:

🌿 “I start restricting again every June.”

🌿 “I binge eat late at night after holding it together all day.”

🌿 “I’m at the gym for hours, but it never feels like enough.”

🌿 “I just don’t want to go anywhere—I hate how I look.”

These are real stories.

Real pain.

And you are not alone if you feel caught in a cycle of disordered eating, binge eating, or compulsive over-exercising—especially when summer rolls around.

It doesn’t mean you’re broken.

It just means something deeper needs attention.

You Deserve More Than a Summer Body

What if your body doesn’t need to be ready for summer?

What if summer could be ready for you—for the whole, complex, beautiful human you are?

Healing your relationship with food, movement, and your body is possible.

We see it every day.

Clients finding freedom from binge eating.

Clients letting go of toxic food rules.

Clients coming home to themselves—not five pounds lighter, but five layers deeper.

We offer therapy for eating disorders, support for disordered eating patterns, and gentle, nonjudgmental spaces to talk about body image—without shame or pressure.

Whether you’re in the thick of it or just starting to notice something feels off, we’re here.

A Mindful Invitation: Try This Instead

The next time your mind spirals into a “fix it” moment, pause and ask:

🌿 What do I actually need right now?

🌿 Is this hunger, emotion, habit, or fear?

🌿 Can I meet myself with kindness instead of control?

You don’t have to have the answers right away.

Just the willingness to ask the question.

Just the courage to stay curious.

If you’re ready for support—whether it’s therapy for eating disorders, help for binge eating, or healing your relationship with your body—reach out.

We offer both in-person and virtual eating disorder therapy across Colorado.

You don’t have to do this alone.

And you don’t have to keep waiting for a “better” body to start living a fuller life.