My body makes me self-conscious: why our relationship with our bodies doesn't depend solely on appearance.

The body is not just what we see ; why does my body make me self-conscious?

Almost all of us have felt insecure at some point.

A scar, a nose that is considered too big, a chest that is too small or too large, a belly that one would like to be different, marks left by illness or by time.

When we talk about our insecurities, we are usually talking about what we see in the mirror.

As if our relationship to the body could be reduced to an image.

However, our bodies are more than just our appearance. Why do I feel self-conscious about my body?

It is also made up of sensations, movements, contacts, memories and lived experiences.

Our relationship with our bodies is not constructed solely through the way we see ourselves or the way others see us.

It is also built upon what we feel.

This is especially true when the body is undergoing a major transformation, whether related to age, an accident, pregnancy, or illness.

In those moments, the question isn't simply: "What do I see in the mirror?"

It also becomes:

"How do I inhabit this body today?"

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Why do we tend to judge our bodies so much?

We live in a society where image plays a huge role.

Social media, advertising, magazines, and films expose us daily to often highly standardized representations of the body.

Gradually, we learn to observe our body as an object to be evaluated.

Is he thin enough? Firm enough? Young enough? Does he conform to what is expected of him?

This habit can lead us to maintain an essentially visual relationship with our body.

We look at it. We compare it. We judge it.

But sometimes we forget to feel it.

However, our experience of the body is not limited to what appears in the mirror .

The lived body: another way of perceiving oneself

Researchers working on body image often distinguish between physical appearance and lived bodily experience.

In other words, there is a difference between the body we see and the body we inhabit.

The lived body is the one we experience every day.

It's the sensation of clothing on the skin, the warmth of the sun, the touch of a hand, the awareness of a physical presence, the movements of everyday life...

The sometimes subtle sensations that accompany us without us paying attention to them.

This sensory dimension plays a full part in our relationship with the body.

It influences our well-being, our confidence, and our sense of self-awareness.

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When the body changes

Throughout life, the body undergoes many transformations.

Some are expected; others occur more abruptly.

Pregnancy, surgery, illness, an accident, or even aging can change the way we perceive ourselves.

In those moments, it is natural for one's self-image to be questioned.

But the change is not only about what we see.

It can also affect how we experience our bodies on a daily basis .

Some people then describe the need to find their bearings again, to recreate a connection with their body or simply to learn to inhabit it differently.

There is no single way to experience these transformations.

Every experience is unique.

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After a mastectomy: beyond the mirror

Among the bodily transformations that can drastically alter one's self-image, mastectomy occupies a special place.

Women who go through this experience often mention the mirror, clothes, the gaze of others or their own gaze on their body .

But many testimonies also speak of something else.

Touch, the sensation of presence or absence, intimacy, the daily relationship with a transformed part of the body.

These stories remind us that the body is not just about appearance.

It is also a lived experience.

An intimate relationship that each person builds over time.

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This reflection gave birth to NÜD.

It was by listening to these testimonies that the idea for NÜD was born.

Through these encounters, a conviction emerged: the relationship to the body is not solely about the gaze.

It also plays out in contact, touch, presence and everyday sensations.

NÜD was conceived as a sensory object worn at chest level.

This is neither a medical device nor a promise of transformation.

His intention is simpler.

To offer a discreet presence and a tactile experience, designed to be felt.

A way to explore the relationship that each person has with their own body.

Because, ultimately, the body is not just what we see.

That's also how we feel.