Over half of Americans feel pressured to look a certain way. This figure rises to over 60% among females. Body image is a concern for many of us, and most people would like to feel more confident in their own skin. It’s not easy to build confidence, but there are some small steps that can make a big difference. Here are some tips to help you boost your body confidence.
Focus on health and wellbeing
We often associate health with looking good, but this is not always an accurate means of measuring physical and mental health. Many of us have a perception of beauty and the perfect body, and we assume that anyone who matches this image must be a healthy, happy individual. This is not always the case. Looking after your health has incredible benefits. If you are looking to improve your health at the same time as boosting your confidence, it’s important to focus on your body and mind, rather than your appearance. When thinking about your diet, for example, try not to obsess over losing weight. Instead, aim to optimize nutrition to ensure that your body gets all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients it needs. When trying to increase activity levels, understand the benefits of exercise as a means of improving your health as well as helping you to drop pounds. Exercise can reduce the risk of several severe, life-threatening diseases, lift your mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and supercharge your energy levels.
If you are eager to adopt a healthier lifestyle, it’s an excellent idea to modify your diet and exercise regime to gradually increase activity levels and make your weekly menu healthier and more balanced. If you’re new to exercise, set realistic targets. You could use an activity tracker to count steps or active minutes, for example. If you do around 3,000 steps per day at the moment, aim for 5,000 and then work towards 8,000 or 10,000. Follow a healthy eating plan and avoid fad diets. Fad diets may help you to lose weight rapidly, but they usually restrict calorie intake dramatically, cut out food groups, or limit the range of ingredients. The results are also unsustainable, and you may experience cravings.
Address problems
Everyone has hang-ups. Even the people you see on billboards and social media feeds have imperfections that affect their confidence. If you are self-conscious about the size of your nose or breasts, you’re reluctant to show off your arms or your tummy in the summer, or you’re conscious of your skin, for example, there are ways of addressing problems that get you down. You can learn to accept them or you can explore possibilities or avenues that could help you feel more confident.
Taking good care of your body can often help to target issues that affect self-confidence. If you’re worried about your weight, for example, healthy eating and exercise can make a big difference. It’s also important to understand the potential benefits of other self-care methods, such as getting enough sleep and managing stress.
Studies show that cosmetic treatments, such as liposuction, breast augmentation, facial aesthetics for anti-aging, and aesthetic dentistry, have become more popular in the last 20 years. Many people feel more confident after undergoing cosmetic surgery or non-invasive cosmetic treatment, but it is essential to make sure that you understand that this is not a quick fix. There are risks involved, and you should always ensure that you want to have treatment for yourself. You should never feel pressured to have treatment to make others happy. If you are thinking about having treatment of any kind, research the procedure thoroughly, arrange consultations with trained, registered, and experienced practitioners, and make sure you have all the information you need to make a decision.
Avoid making comparisons
In the age of social media and 24-hour access to rolling feeds scattered with edited, enhanced, and filtered images, it can be difficult to avoid making comparisons. Many of us enjoy scrolling through social media platforms, and we like to upload photos and comment on the images our friends share. The trouble with social media is that it provides a snapshot of real-life and it makes us compare ourselves to others in a way that isn’t always healthy. We see images of models and celebrities in our feeds, and we have become accustomed to seeing pictures that have been altered by using editing apps or filters. We are sometimes presented with unrealistic, unachievable perceptions of beauty, and we link looking a certain way to happiness, success, and confidence.
It is human nature to compare yourself to others, but try to understand that nobody is perfect and that your quirks and what you perceive as flaws may be what others love about you. Everyone is unique and it’s beneficial to be open-minded about what beauty looks or feels like. Very few people fit into the mold, but diversity should be celebrated. Just because you don’t have a certain skin tone or you’re not tall with long legs doesn’t mean that you are not beautiful.
Be kinder to yourself
Have you ever noticed that the internal narrative you have is far harsher than the conversations you have with your closest friends and family members? Most of us are our harshest critics. We look in the mirror or see a photo and we immediately zone in on what is ‘wrong.’ Try to be kinder to yourself. Celebrate the bits you love and talk to yourself in the same way you do your best friend. Give yourself a break and be gentle.
Most people lack body confidence. It can be difficult to increase self-esteem and improve body image, but there are some simple steps you can take. Focus on your health and wellbeing, look after your body and mind, and address problems or flaws that get you down. Avoid making comparisons with others; be kind to yourself; celebrate your uniqueness; and understand that nobody is perfect and that beauty comes in a range of different guises.
