As women we struggle a lot with feeling good about our appearance. Especially in this social media age where you’re confronted with images of the ‘ideal body’ at every turn. If you look in the mirror and aren’t happy with what you see, here are some tips to turn that around by building your body confidence.
Focus on the Positives
The human mind naturally gravitates towards negative thoughts, thus staying positive has to be a conscious effort. Whenever you catch yourself in a negative thought about your body, stop it immediately. Replace it with positive affirmations such as “I am beautiful” or “My hair looks amazing today”. It takes a while but with practice you’ll get used to it.
Learn Your Body
A huge part of lack of body confidence is forcing your body to be what it isn’t. Learn your skin type, hair type, body figure, etc and work with it not against it. When you wear clothes that compliment your figure and complexion, use products that agree with your skin and hair, this boosts your morale a great deal.
Social Media Breaks
If comparing yourself with others is something that’s hard for you to avoid, you may want to consider a social media break. Replace social media time with something you enjoy doing or indulge yourself in a spa treat. Remember, most of what is posted on social media either isn’t real or doesn’t show the whole story.
Treat Yourself
This doesn’t mean binge eating processed foods, as tempting as they may be. Take care of your body by working out, eating healthy, getting enough rest and don’t forget your mental health! Treating yourself well releases endorphins (feel-good hormones) while helping you stay healthy.
Help Others
Sometimes what we need to feel good about ourselves is to take the focus off ourselves. Whether donating to a charitable cause, helping a friend or stranger in need or organizing a neighbourhood cleanup exercise, doing something for others is a mood booster.
Practice
Confidence is a muscle that grows stronger by being exercised. Practice smiling, walking with your head high, giving firm handshakes and accepting compliments even on days when you feel least like it. The more you do it the more confident you’ll become- and those around you will pick up on it.
