Struggling with self-confidence is an unfortunately common problem, especially for women. Fortunately, the body positivity movement has made huge strides to make beauty more inclusive. However, personal confidence is something that you need to discover for yourself.
Pay Attention to Body Language
The way you hold yourself is a big signal to your brain of how you perceive yourself. If you’re struggling with confidence, you may find that you tend to fold in on yourself. Crossed arms, downward gaze, slumped shoulders; all are signs of low confidence. However, you can use this to your advantage. If you purposefully hold your body in stances that exude confidence, you will start to feel confident! A popular TED talk coined this term “power posing”. Make your body take up space: emulate your favorite superhero poses with hands on hips, head held high. Hold your body in this stance for a few moments. Allow yourself to take up space.
Develop A Skincare Routine
Taking care of yourself is another way to convince yourself of your worth. If you put forth the effort to take care of yourself, you’re telling yourself that it’s worth the investment of time to do so. One great example of this is skincare. Our skin is a large part of our appearance, and if it’s not looking its best, it can be hard to feel confident. Developing a skincare routine helps you feel in control of your appearance. It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, either. A simple cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen are all you need to start. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can add in other products like serums or exfoliants. Exfoliating your skin removes the dead layers and moisturizing helps repair it.
Stop the Negative Self-Talk
Ultimately, confidence comes from inside of you. You can take care of your body perfectly, but if you still feel unworthy inside, your confidence won’t grow. It is so essential to treat yourself with kindness to find lasting confidence. However, self-kindness is not most peoples’ default. When you look in the mirror, do you find yourself critiquing your appearance and making negative comments? These thoughts are becoming beliefs that you perpetuate about yourself, and your confidence won’t grow until you change that narrative. Stop allowing yourself to make such cruel comments about your appearance. Instead, every time you look in the mirror, pause and notice one thing you like about yourself. It can be small, like the color of your eyes or the freckles on your cheeks. Repeat this to yourself instead of your negative self-talk.
Confidence is something all of us are aspiring towards. In a society that is constantly telling us our bodies are not good enough, it can be easy to lose confidence in our appearance. To build confidence, you need to take steps to realize that beauty doesn’t have a singular definition.
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