Our bodies are always changing and you may find yourself looking different than you’re used to. Diet culture makes us feel like we can’t be happy with our shape unless we’re shedding body fat (but only in the right areas) and living off celery juice (ew.) But I’m here today to help you feel better exactly as you are. Keep reading so you can learn how to be more confident in your body!
Where does confidence come from?
Our confidence comes from where we feel our most competent. We thrive off of the things that we are good at. It’s all psychological. If we tell ourselves something often enough, we start to believe it. This is why working on building a strong, positive self-esteem is so important.
You might want to check out my recommended resources for tackling self-doubt!
We also base our worth heavily on what others think. Having a circle of supportive people around you is essential for personal growth. But, the most important opinion is your own. Which brings me to my first top tip…
How to be more confident in your body
Practise gratitude & reflection
When you create a positive energy around yourself, that inner glow will naturally make you burst with confidence. Connecting with yourself mindfully and spiritually will give you self-awareness on another level. Confidence starts from within. Making gratitude lists helps to keep you grounded and focused on the things that are important to you.
A practical way to reflect:
– Use a journal daily to note down your thoughts and feelings.
– How do you react to certain situations?
– What are you grateful for?
– What did you achieve today?
Follow body positive accounts
Or at the very least, follow accounts that show a variety of body shapes (non-weight-loss-journey accounts only). If we only see bodies of a certain shape, we start to believe that that’s the way our bodies should look.
Our minds naturally want to relate to information. We like to find ways in which we can connect with content. But only connecting with accounts that make you feel inadequate is really unhealthy.
Here are my 3 favourite body positive accounts to follow on Instagram:
Move up a dress size
We have this innate fear that if we allow ourselves to move up a dress size, we’ll just keep expanding forever. It’s not true.
Want to know what will make you keep getting bigger? Dieting. Restricting. Bingeing. And hating your body.
Buying bigger sized clothes is something that I have been engaging in recently and I feel sooo much better for it. Living in clothes that were uncomfortably tight made me feel so bad about myself.
Wearing clothes that don’t fit right also makes you more self-conscious. So if you’re looking to boost your confidence, put outfits together that make you feel fantastic.
Have a photo shoot with yourself
It’s not vain. It’s not self-absorbed. It’s a crucial activity that involves you showing yourself some love and positive attention.
How often do we spend criticizing ourselves in front of the mirror? Imagine if we took that time and energy and used it to speak positively to ourselves.
Allow yourself to express your body in ways that work for you. Use your physical being to create shapes and images that reflect your most authentic self.
There are two ways that you can do this:
1. Have a glam day. Spend time pampering yourself by styling your hair and playing with make up. HINT: don’t try copying someone else’s look. We’re supposed to look different.
2. Keep yourself natural and focus on the details that make you who you are. Your freckles. Birthmarks. Moles. Scars. Capture your beauty in it’s most raw form.
I did this a little while ago! Here’s how my photos turned out…
Move your body in ways that serve you
Generally, we feel more energised and positive when we are active. But active doesn’t mean taking a 10 mile hike or spin class every other day. It’s all about balance.
Elevating your heart rate is good for you but you don’t need to do it all the time. I like to start my morning with some gentle stretches and then I ask myself if I would like to move more. We tend to feel our least confident when we become sluggish and lethargic so find a movement that works for you.
My favourite gentle ways of moving my body are yoga & walking. I like to listen to podcasts as I walk and my good friend Millie from www.msblife.com has launched her own motivational podcast! Go check her out!
So those are my 5 life hacks for building body confidence. Now that you know how to be more confident in your body, why not try ditching the diet altogether?
What are some things that you do to be more body confident?
Always remember to take a paws.
Charlotte x
Pin me for later!
Great post, Charlotte! I read it as part of my morning “take care of your body” time. Thanks for sharing these tips!! ❤️
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post! I’m glad you liked it xx
YESSS LOVE THIS CHARLOTTE! This needs to be shouted off the rooftops! Moving up a dress size was weird for me as I had always been the same one. Thankfully, with all this (your) great content I accepted it quite well 🙂 Also YOU LOOKING SO GOOD IN THOSE PHOTOS WOO
Awh thanks Millie! You’re right, it is strange. I’ve had conflicting emotions. But at the end of the day, our bodies and our clothes size do not define our worth!
Loved this! I’ve been really trying out the going up a dress size part lately / just accepting that the “bigger” size is what I need and that the smaller clothes are holding me back!
Yes Carla! It’s amazing to feel comfortable in our clothes!