The vast majority of us girls aren’t happy with how we look. Some of us are embarrassed by our weight, others of us hate the shape of our nose or the type of hair that we have. A recent study has shown that up to 80 percent of women avoid taking part in certain activities because of a lack of body confidence. That’s a huge amount of us that lack so much self-esteem that we’re missing out on things because of it. And that in itself isn’t okay.
Admittedly, being confident about your body and beauty isn’t always easy. Especially, when you don’t resemble the women in the media. But what is important to understand is that for a lot of these women, looking how they look is forced upon them. They spend hours each day at the gym, live on diets of kale, and spend most of their spare time working to ‘perfect’ themselves. There’s a lot that goes into being a media personality.
The bodies and beauty standards you see in the media aren’t the norm, and it’s important that we realise that. The women that we see in movies, on the catwalks and in magazines, don’t give an even representation of what a healthy female body should look like. Neither do they define beauty standards. Difference should be celebrated, and slowly it is starting to be. Today, there are models on the catwalk that five years ago wouldn’t have been on there. Celebrities waistlines are expanding, and less and less imperfections are being Photoshopped out.
With that in mind, it’s high time that we start learning to love our bodies and beauty. Because if we don’t, we’ll only pass our confidence issues onto the next generation of women. For everything that you need to know about learning to love yourself, keep reading.
Don’t compare yourself
We’re all guilty of comparing ourselves to others, but if you ever want to be happy, it needs to stop. You might love your supermodel tall friend’s legs, but yours are just as beautiful. You can dream about becoming taller all you like but there’s nothing you can do to change your height, so there’s no point comparing yourself. The same goes for your body shape - no matter what crazy diets you go on, you can’t shrink your frame.
Comparing yourself to others will give your confidence a real knock. When it comes to your body size and shape, and your beauty, it’s not a competition. We all have different features and frames, and that’s good because living in a world where everyone looked the same would be boring. If you’re going to be happy, what you need to understand is that everyone is different and that’s okay. Stop comparing yourself to others and I promise, you’ll feel better about yourself.
Fake it
You know that saying, ‘fake it before you make it’, now is the time to put it into practice. One of the best ways to give your self-esteem a boost is to fake it. Choose someone famous to use as your inspiration, and mimic how they act when it comes to showing confidence. Beyonce is a great option for this as she’s such a strong, independent woman. Whenever you need a confidence boost, focus on your chosen celebrity and imagine what they would do. Would Queen Bey back out of a family photograph because of her insecurities - I don’t think so.
Even the women you see on the catwalks have imperfections, they just learn how not to let them bother them, that’s all. Kylie Jenner, the baby of the Kardashian clan, has a deep scar on one of her knees, but she doesn’t let that stop her showing off her figure. It’s part of who she is, so she’s happy for it to be on display. Take inspiration from her and be proud of your body for what it is.
Find a style that suits you
How you dress can have a big impact on your self-confidence. It’s not about dressing in all the newest trends; it’s about finding a style that works for you. Of course, you want to look and feel like you’re on trend. But it’s not just the current fashion trends that should be taken into account, also what looks good on you.
When your clothes fit right and flatter your body size and shape, you feel good about yourself. That’s why finding a style that suits you is so important. If you’re not sure how to find the right look, consult a personal shopper for assistance. They really are fantastic when it comes to finding a style that works for you because they’ll get you to try on items that normally, you never would.
Perfect your makeup application
When it comes to how you feel about your facial beauty, it’s all down to your makeup application. Okay, you should love your natural look, but a lot of us struggle with natural-looking skin. Breakouts, blemishes and redness, don’t help with this. If your skin isn’t perfect, it can easily knock your confidence. That’s why makeup can be such a game changer, as long as you know how to apply it properly, that is.
You don’t want to cake yourself in makeup, all you need to do is use a small amount to enhance your natural beauty. If you learn how to use makeup to create a natural look, you can help to give your self-esteem a much-needed boost. There are plenty of tutorials online for creating beautifully natural-looking makeup, so make sure to take a peek at these.
Look after your mind and body
Did you know that people who take the time to keep their minds and bodies healthy are more likely to be confident? If you make time to take care of yourself, you are twice as likely to love yourself and feel confident about your appearance. Studies have shown that people who eat well and exercise regularly tend to have more self-esteem than those that don’t. This is because when you take care of yourself, you know that you’re doing all that you can for your mind and body.
A lot of us make the mistake of thinking that being healthy is simply about your physical appearance, but it’s not. People who exercise and eat healthily are a lot less prone to develop mental health conditions, like anxiety or depression. These conditions make confidence issues twice as bad, as they knock your self-esteem even lower. If you want to be confident, you need to focus on your mind as well as your body. When it comes to loving yourself, having a positive mindset is a must.
Consider cosmetic surgery
Being self-confident is about learning to love yourself for you, but that can be impossible if there’s something you hate. While cosmetic surgery isn’t always the answer to boosting your confidence, sometimes it can be necessary. If there is a feature that you can’t get past, sometimes surgery can be the best option. Take actress Ariel Winter, for example; her large breasts caused her discomfort and a lack of confidence, so she had a breast reduction. Now she’s much happier and a lot more confident.
If for example, you were born with a wine-stain birthmark on your face, you may feel that you just can’t get past it, so choose to have it lasered off. Or, if your breasts aren’t a shape or size that you’re happy with, you may feel that breast surgery is the only option. You can find out more about how cosmetic surgery can help to give you the self-esteem you need, by reading advice online from Dr. David Halpern. It’s not a decision to make lightly, but it may be the right one for you.
Have a positive outlook
Last but not least, if you want to boost your confidence you need to be more positive. It’s easy to underestimate the power of positivity, but it’s essential when it comes to your self-esteem. You’ll find that more positive your outlook on things, the happier and more confident you will feel. If for example, you’ve always disliked your wide hips, find a way to love them. Look at Kim Kardashian, she has a curvaceous frame and rocks it, and you can to. Be happy that you have hips so many women lust after.A positive mindset can change a lot more than how you feel; it can allow you love yourself for you. Find a way to see the glass as being half full, not half empty. You may not think that positivity can impact your confidence but it can. Aim to see the good in everything, from your body shape to your hair type, and your confidence will soon grow.
It can seem almost impossible to boost your body confidence but it’s really not, it’s just a case of being smart about how you go about it. No matter what your size or shape, you need to understand that you’re beautiful and should love yourself.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. For more info about this disclosure policy, read here.
BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM