Learning to Show Up Anyway
Reflections on Body Image, Summer Discomfort, and Choosing Presence
Today is Wednesday, June 25, 2025
I have to start with the day of the week because we’re on our summertime schedule over here, and I’m lucky if I know what day it is.
This is our first official week of summer break. My kids are easing into their summer routines and it also happens to be our first heatwave of the season. If you know me personally, you’ve probably heard me call myself a “fair-weather” friend. I don’t enjoy the heat unless I’m in air conditioning.
I’ve chatted with a few Intuitive Eating friends recently who’ve mentioned heightened body image struggles in the warm weather. Can you relate?
I love winter. I can be cozy in jeans and sweatshirts or oversized sweaters. My body is comfortably wrapped in layers of clothes that feel like warm safety—a hibernation of sorts that brings space to exist without much worry.
But summer? Summer brings swimsuits and tank tops and shorts. Fewer clothes that are often more form-fitting and suddenly we’re confronted with our own feelings about our bodies that can quickly spiral into wondering what others might think about our bodies too.
Sometimes, the truth wins and I can steer clear of the downward spiral:
My body is good. I’m allowed to take up space. I get to do the work God has called me to in this body today. I carry the power and presence of the Holy Spirit inside of me, and I get to be a messenger of the good news of the Gospel in this body.
Other times? It’s harder to get there.
Sunday mornings are often “hard body” moments for me.
I don’t work outside the home and am usually seen in yoga pants and a t-shirt with my hair in a messy bun. I’ve worked hard to let go of external norms, opinions, and expectations as I’ve eased into caring for my here-and-now body. Comfort always wins—because why not?
Except for Sunday mornings.
I was raised in a very conservative church where older ladies wore head coverings when I was a child. We wore dresses every Sunday. The expectation was modesty, and to present ourselves as we would for any special occasion.
As I got older and started to wrestle with the why behind certain things, I didn’t feel a personal conviction to wear a dress to church every week. I often wear jeans on Sunday mornings when the weather is cool enough. I don’t like to be too hot, so sometimes I wear a dress just because it’s cooler!
If I’m not wearing jeans, I have three or four dresses I like to wear and often just rotate them 😊 Anyone else?
Our church currently meets in a local middle school… except during the summer.
From Memorial Day weekend (the last Sunday in May) to Labor Day weekend (the first Sunday in September), we meet outside. Under the trees.
I wish you could see the look on my face as I typed that. Outside. Under the trees. Gross.
I do not enjoy being hot. I don’t enjoy bugs. I don’t enjoy the unpredictability of weather (will it be cool under the trees or miserably humid?) I have fair skin and burn easily. And my least favorite thing of all? Sweating.
In my early Intuitive Eating days, I so easily threw off any bit of diet culture that no longer served me. Goodbye to uncomfortable clothes, tracking apps, lettuce, the scale. I quit the “shoulds” and started looking inside to discover what I really wanted.
As I grew in freedom, I settled into comfort. My anxiety lessened. And I found peace and joy in unexpected places.
Now it’s summer again, and I’m being reminded that I don’t always get to be comfortable.
This past Sunday was one of those reminders. As a ministry leader at our church, I had to attend the outdoor service and our yearly annual meeting. I don’t usually attend in-person church in the summer. Why would I when I can watch online from the comfort of my air-conditioned home??
I struggled as I was getting ready to go to church. I would have loved to wear my everyday yoga capris and a T-shirt, but there’s something about the way I was raised that has stuck with me. I didn’t feel like I could wear yoga pants to church and I don’t have any comfortable jean capris, so I chose a dress and capri leggings. I got ready and we made our way to church.
When we arrived at the location of the outdoor service, I set up my seat and planted myself there.
I can’t control the weather or the fact that I had to be outside. But I could control what I wore and how I showed up—with Starbucks!
It was HOT. So hot that my Starbucks cup was dripping with condensation. The ice melted faster than I could drink my venti refresher.
I decided to stay seated because standing wouldn’t make me more comfortable than I already was, and I feel like I can actually enter into worship more deeply and personally when I sit in a relaxed posture — it helps me to focus on the heart of worship.
I did my best to show up and stay present despite how I was feeling.
After church, I attended the meeting—sweat dripping down my front and back—feeling gross but still staying present.
To anyone who remarked they were surprised to see me, especially on such a hot day, I said, “I’m only here because of the annual meeting—you probably won’t see me for the rest of the summer!”
I couldn’t wait to get home, peel off my sweat-soaked clothes, and slip into my pajamas.
I did the hard thing.
I can do hard things. I didn’t enjoy it. But I did it.
I wrestle with showing up in conditions that are out of my control and uncomfortable. And this isn’t just a “summer Emily” problem.
As I learned the framework of Intuitive Eating, I learned how to be more curious and introspective. I learned to set healthier boundaries and to truly be authentic.
I no longer have to give in to external pressures just because I think I should. I get to decide what benefits me, what doesn’t, and what might not benefit me but I choose to participate in anyway. I love that Intuitive Eating has taught me that I do have a choice in many facets of life.
I wonder what you might be wrestling with right now.
Is it food? Your body? Movement? A relationship? An unmet desire? Wanting to go deeper in your relationship with God but not knowing where to start? Showing up authentically? Finding your voice?
This past week reminded me that while there are many things we can’t control, we do have agency. One thing we can’t control is our first thought. Sometimes old patterns and narratives can still show up. But the second thought? That’s where the shift begins. That’s where we get to pause, reflect, and respond in a way that aligns with who we’re becoming.
My challenge to you today is to take a moment and check in with yourself:
Are there things in your life that aren’t serving you well?
What’s one step you could take today toward freedom or wholeness today?
And when challenging thoughts creep in, how can you pause, refocus, and speak truth over yourself or your situation?
God is with you. In the highs and the lows. When you’re comfortable and when you’re uncomfortable. Lean into Him today.
And don’t be afraid to reach out if you need some extra support.
Be blessed as you journey,
Emily
Intuitive Eating Counselor & Coach at IE with Emily