Can't stop fixating on the way you look? These 4 mental exercises may help

Psychologist Diana Hill says that people can learn to stop obsessing over their looks by practicing mental exercises that shift focus from appearance to bodily function and personal values. Hill, a specialist in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and co‑author of *ACT Daily Journal: Get Unstuck and Live Fully with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy*, explains that the key concept is “body image flexibility.” The idea does not require loving one’s body or feeling neutral about it; it simply means changing how one responds to negative thoughts about appearance.

In a world saturated with weight‑loss drugs, Instagram filters, and endless scrolling of seemingly perfect bodies, many people struggle to accept how they look. Hill’s approach offers four practical strategies to help people redirect their attention and reclaim energy spent on appearance concerns.

The first exercise, called flexible attention, encourages people to notice negative thoughts when they arise and to shift focus inward. Hill calls this “interoceptive awareness,” or the ability to sense what the body is doing at the moment—whether it is hungry, full, tense, relaxed, nervous or calm. By paying attention to these internal states, a person can gain better control over hunger cues, emotional regulation and interpersonal empathy.

A second technique focuses outward, asking people to appreciate what their bodies can do. Hill suggests asking simple questions such as, “What am I doing right now?” and then listing the sensory and motor functions involved: “I am sitting on the floor; my eyes are seeing a tree; my ears are hearing sounds; my body is breathing.” The goal is to remind people that their bodies provide essential connections to the world and to themselves.

The third strategy involves interrogating the intentions behind habitual appearance‑related behaviors. For example, if someone often pulls in their stomach to look slimmer, Hill advises noticing that action and asking what it really means. “There are biological, psychological and social forces that drive us to shut off a part of our body,” she says. By being honest about how much time and energy is devoted to body image, people can see how it takes away from other life pursuits such as posting selfies for likes or buying cosmetic products.

Finally, Hill recommends conducting a time audit to discover where energy can be reallocated. “Maybe it’s being outside, doing movement you enjoy or playing with your dog,” she says. By swapping some of the time spent on appearance with activities that bring joy and fulfillment, people can reduce the mental load of body image concerns and increase their overall well‑being.

Hill’s advice comes amid rising interest in GLP‑1 drugs and other medical solutions for weight loss. While such treatments may change body shape, they do not address the underlying mental patterns that cause people to fixate on appearance. By cultivating body image flexibility, individuals can better cope with the pressures of a culture that constantly demands perfection.

The techniques are straightforward and can be practiced in a few minutes each day. Hill’s work, which draws on the principles of ACT, has been featured in her book and in various clinical settings. She emphasizes that the goal is not to eliminate self‑criticism entirely but to transform it into a more adaptive response that frees up emotional and mental resources for other priorities.

The article was originally published by NPR’s Life Kit, a program that explores everyday topics. NPR does not accept sponsorship for coverage or interviews. The story was edited by Meghan Keane and visually edited by CJ Riculan. For more information, listeners can download Life Kit on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or sign up for the weekly newsletter.