How to Make Peace With Your Body in 2026
Body image struggles don’t discriminate. No matter your age, weight, or size, body insecurities and dysmorphia can creep in at any time.
For Danielle Lee, her body image struggles were amplified by two life-changing diagnoses: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) at the age of 16, and thyroid cancer at the age of 24.
After missing several periods without being sexually active, Lee saw a gynecologist as a teen and found that she had cysts on her ovaries.
Years later, Lee fell and hit her head at work resulting in the need for a CAT scan to rule out a concussion. That’s when they found a 2-inch encapsulated carcinoma on her right thyroid.
Lee remembers having gained so much weight and not understanding why. As a server who eats relatively healthy, it never made sense.
But without her thyroid regulating her body’s most important functions and her PCOS producing too much testosterone, clarity ensued.
“I want to share my story with people and let them know that they can overcome this,” Lee said. “You have to do the work, but it’s easy when you are your biggest cheerleader.”
Navigating PCOS, thyroid cancer, and body dysmorphia took Lee many years but today, she can proudly say that she has made peace with her body. So, how did she do it?
She learned to love herself first.
It’s taken about five years for Lee’s hormone levels to regulate after getting the cancer removed. She has tracked foods, symptoms, and blood sugar with the intent of learning what makes her body feel best. To say it was exhausting at times is an understatement.
“You have to learn to love yourself first before you can even truly navigate something like this,” Lee said. “No one else is gonna do it for you. You gotta do it yourself, babe.”
Lee experienced this firsthand as she managed cancer remission alone.
“When you remove your entire thyroid, you have to do an iodine treatment,” Lee explained. “So basically, you’re radioactive for 24 hours and you have to actually isolate yourself. You can’t be around anyone.”
While she had a solid support system to lean on, Lee became comfortable with herself and knew just how she needed to show up for herself in those challenging times.
She set goals for herself.
2025 was a big year for Lee and she set goals to read 40 books, focus on her health, and go to more concerts. She believes that making peace with your body involves doing things that make your soul happy.
“I did the work this year and I’m really proud of myself,” Lee said. “Seeing the accomplishments that I’ve made since the beginning of the year, I’m like, ‘hell yeah!’”
Even if you don’t reach your goal, you’re still setting a goal and most people don’t even do that, Lee affirmed.
Psychologically speaking, goal setting guides us to make choices that are in our best interest. Lee believes goals are an extension of the love we give to ourselves.
She got rid of her full-length mirror and scale.
Having struggled with weight for a long time, Lee would body check and weigh herself incessantly everyday until she realized it was only upsetting her.
“I got rid of the full-length mirror in my house because it was doing more harm than good,” Lee said. “If you are happy with the way that you feel, who cares what the number on the scale is, and who cares what you look like?”
Lee decided that if looking at herself in the mirror and weighing herself wasn’t going to make her feel good afterwards, there was no point in doing it.
Removing her mirror and scale was a huge step in overcoming her body dysmorphia, and it gave her the freedom to just be.
She took therapy seriously.
Lee isn’t embarrassed to admit that she’s in therapy. In fact, she credits therapy with giving her the coping skills needed to handle her body’s challenges.
“I’m very vocal about therapy,” Lee said. “I did a lot of shadow work this year and it paid off. I dove really deep into my brain and I didn’t want to, but I’m happy I did.”
Her therapist uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which focuses on faulty or unhelpful ways of thinking.
This has helped Lee really think about her thoughts and choices in terms of her own suffering. Therapy has been a gateway for better understanding the way her brain works, and in turn creating the self-compassion that helped her make peace with her body.
She replaced alcohol with water.
It’s no secret that in Erie, we have a lot of bars. And being in your 20s and 30s, drinking is basically a rite of passage. But for Lee, she was tired of waking up feeling like garbage after a night of drinking.
“Alcohol is a big depressant and people don’t realize that you’re taking in all this sugar,” Lee said. “We’re also all on these medications we shouldn’t be drinking with.”
Lee became unhappy with who she was when she was drinking, and she has since turned to her pink emotional support water bottle—Patrick Starr.
Water has played a huge part in regulating Lee’s body, and she feels so much better not drinking as much now.
She advocated for herself.
It’s true that you know your body best, and taking everything your doctor says at face value is not always beneficial.
“If something that you don’t like keeps recurring, talk to your doctor. And if your doctor’s not listening to you, find another doctor,” Lee said. “A lot of people like myself are givers and people pleasers, and they want what’s best for everyone else. Why don’t you want that for yourself?”
Lee believes that you should advocate for yourself as hard as you would for your mom, sister, aunt, or friend.
It’s important to become comfortable with the uncomfortable and have tough conversations that put your health at the forefront.
Danielle Lee’s story is one of obstacles, resilience, self-love, and intention. She strives to live in the moment and use mind over matter when it comes to navigating PCOS, cancer, and body dysmorphia.
She is a reminder that beautiful things come from loving yourself in full.
“I just want to feel comfortable in my skin. I want to laugh. I want to have fun. I don’t want to be stressed about the number not moving on the scale,” Lee said. “At the end of the day, if you love yourself a little more and be a little better than you were the day before, you’ll see positive change over time.”
🌿With care in mind: This piece is meant to share knowledge and spark reflection, rather than provide medical advice, treatment, or diagnosis. If you’re needing extra support, we encourage you to connect with a trusted medical or mental health professional🌿
