When appearance routines, dieting, exercise, cosmetics or grooming habits start taking up too much time, money or emotional energy, this CBT-style module helps people step back and look at what is helpful, what has become excessive, and what might be worth changing.
A more balanced relationship with appearance routines is the aim here, especially for adults and older teenagers who feel caught up in trying to change, hide or perfect how they look. The module focuses on appearance altering behaviours such as strict dieting, cleanses, weight loss supplements, body transformation programmes, make-up, hair styling, cosmetic products, fake tanning, hair removal, cosmetic procedures, exercise aimed at changing body shape, steroid use and researching ways to improve appearance.
Inside are practical CBT self-help prompts, including a helpful versus unhelpful behaviour scale and a table for recording how often different appearance-related behaviours happen, how long they take, and whether they feel appropriate or excessive. It also explores the consequences of these habits across time, physical health, finances, emotions and ongoing appearance concern, using examples such as repeated hair styling to show how short-term relief can keep body image worries going.
Well suited to use in therapy sessions, body image counselling, eating disorder or appearance anxiety work, and reflective home practice, it gives clients and practitioners a clear structure for spotting patterns before experimenting with gradual behaviour change. It may be particularly useful for psychologists, counsellors, wellbeing workers and individuals working through appearance preoccupation, body dissatisfaction, grooming compulsions or overexercise linked to body shape concerns.
