Body Kindness Book Summary - Body Kindness Book explained in key points
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Body Kindness summary

Rebecca Scritchfield

Transform Your Health From the Inside Out – and Never Say Diet Again

4.3 (235 ratings)
23 mins

Brief summary

In 'Body Kindness' by Rebecca Scritchfield, the author teaches readers to reject societal beauty standards and embrace body acceptance. By practicing self-care and self-compassion, we can nourish our bodies and improve our overall well-being.

Table of Contents

    Body Kindness
    Summary of 8 key ideas

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    Key idea 1 of 8

    Generating happiness through good life habits can instigate an upward spiral in your life.

    When you think about the factors that contribute to happiness, do things like money, youth or a slim figure come to mind? Well, according to psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, these factors only contribute to around 10 percent of a person’s overall happiness. Your daily choices account for 40 percent, while the remaining 50 percent comes down to your genetic makeup.

    The 40 percent that makes up your daily choices is a pretty significant factor to have control over, nonetheless, making the right choices requires a great deal of willpower. But the good news is that you can make it easier on yourself by developing good habits.

    If you repeat a healthy behavior often enough, you can turn that behavior into a habit that becomes second nature. In other words, you’ll reach a point where you won’t even have to think about it – it’ll just come naturally to you.

    For example, let’s say you want to be less frivolous with your time at home after work. Maybe your routine now is to absentmindedly waste time checking your Instagram feed or anxiously scamper around the house looking for something to do.

    Well, this time could be made more productive if you develop the habit of coming home, changing your clothes and doing 30 minutes of yoga. This would be a win-win scenario as far as your happiness is concerned. It’s not only a healthy practice; it would also help quieten down your mind after a busy day at work, and it would allow you to enjoy your evening more consciously.

    The positive effect that good habits can have on your life is something the author calls spiraling upward.

    The easiest way to understand this concept is to see it in action. Let’s say you want to increase your creative output. For instance, you could start spending 30 minutes doing some creative writing after breakfast. This will both spark your imagination and let you start the day with the positive feeling of being productive.

    Now, that positive feeling often carries over into another good decision, such as a willingness to do some exercise or a feeling of being energized enough to tackle some household chores. This is how a good habit can get you spiraling upward.

    Thus, the more positive habits you have in place, the better you’ll feel. This, in turn, will increase the chances that you’ll continue making good choices on how to spend your time throughout the day – and that will lead to even more good feelings!

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    What is Body Kindness about?

    Body Kindness (2016) offers a refreshing approach to your overall physical and emotional health – one that allows you to tune into your own unique body and discover what is best for your well-being. This approach does away with one-size-fits-all dietary and exercise rules that often introduce a lot of added stress and anxiety into our daily lives. With small, easy-to-implement steps, you can learn how to boost their health and happiness, without the rules and rigidity.

    Body Kindness Review

    Body Kindness (2016) is an empowering book that challenges society's narrow definition of beauty and encourages readers to embrace a kinder, more compassionate approach to their bodies. Here's why this book is worth reading:

    • Offers practical tools and strategies to develop a positive body image, build self-compassion, and practice self-care.
    • Combines personal anecdotes, scientific research, and expert advice to create a well-rounded and informative guide.
    • Delivers a powerful message about self-acceptance and body positivity, inspiring readers to redefine their relationship with their bodies and live a more fulfilling life.

    Best quote from Body Kindness

    If you find yourself caught in a pattern of choices that you feel bad about, something isnt right.

    —Rebecca Scritchfield
    example alt text

    Who should read Body Kindness?

    • Anyone tired of the latest fad diets
    • People looking for tips on living a healthier lifestyle
    • Nutritionists, coaches and psychologists

    About the Author

    Rebecca Scritchfield is an experienced fitness counselor, health counselor and nutritionist. She developed the body kindness approach to health and well-being, which forgoes the usual diet restrictions and focuses on personalized self-care instead. She has appeared on CNN and the Today Show, and she has contributed articles to The Washington Post, Oprah Magazine and many other publications.

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    Body Kindness FAQs 

    What is the main message of Body Kindness?

    Body Kindness encourages a compassionate and holistic approach to self-care and body acceptance.

    How long does it take to read Body Kindness?

    The estimated reading time for Body Kindness is several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

    Is Body Kindness a good book? Is it worth reading?

    Body Kindness offers practical advice and promotes a healthy relationship with our bodies. It's definitely worth reading!

    Who is the author of Body Kindness?

    The author of Body Kindness is Rebecca Scritchfield.

    What to read after Body Kindness?

    If you're wondering what to read next after Body Kindness, here are some recommendations we suggest:
    • Me, Myself and Us by Brian R. Little
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    • Thrive by Arianna Huffington
    • Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace by Gill Hasson
    • Super Immunity by Joel Fuhrman
    • Feeding You Lies by Vani Hari
    • Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin
    • Clean by Alejandro Junger and Amely Greeven
    • Are You Fully Charged? by Tom Rath
    • Always Hungry? by Dr. David Ludwig