Nobody is ever happy when people go out of their way to comment on their physical appearance. Those unnecessary remarks and harsh judgments can really kill one’s self-esteem and confidence. Although this says more about them than it does about you, it can be difficult to feel confident when you frequently experience people acting thoughtlessly.

These negative thoughts can affect your perception of how you look and can have a big impact on the value you place on yourself and how much self-confidence you have in your day-to-day life.

Your Body Image

Your body image is based on your thoughts and feelings about the way your body looks. It’s a subjective view that can be influenced by your own feelings and opinions about yourself. A healthy body image is made up of thoughts and feelings that are positive while a poor body image comes from negative thoughts and feelings about your appearance.

Body image is a major factor in self-esteem. Self-esteem is your evaluation of your self-worth. This directly relates to the level of confidence that you have in your abilities.

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What is Self-esteem?

Self-esteem relates to how much you like yourself, and how you recognize or appreciate your individual character, qualities, skills, and accomplishments. Like body image, self-esteem can also be based on how you think other people look at you as a person.

Self-esteem gives you the power to

• Have Courage to try new things
• Believe in yourself
• Develop Confidence to make healthy choices for your mind and body

People are not born with high or low self-esteem. Self-esteem develops over time and can fluctuate. This is the same with body image, your perception of your own appearance may change over time, along with how much emphasis you place on your appearance. Feelings about our physical appearance and self-esteem are often related because we live in an image-orientated society.

Simple steps to develop self-esteem

1. Start by developing a positive mindset
2. Focus more on solutions than problems. Practice to fixing things up in your everyday life.
3. Remind yourself every day that you are more than enough
4. Stop trying to be good at everything. Strive to do your best but accept your imperfections.
5. Focus on your unique qualities
6. Never stop Learning this gives you the power to make a difference in your life
7. Set your Goals, having something to look forward to can give you a sense of excitement and pride
8. Be an inspiration to others, set an example- do more, be more, live more.

A filtered picture-perfect beauty

Social Media has built a standard society out of a filtered world. What you see on Instagram is exaggerated skinny bikini-ready bodies in the best of angles, tucking their bellies in and pushing the hips out so their bums look bigger. The glowing skin, the perfect teeth, and silky hair. The lavish lifestyle, exotic travels- seriously it’s hard to keep up!

We constantly need to remind ourselves of reality vs filter otherwise we fall into the trap of overestimating others and underestimating ourselves. Nobody is perfect and we all live in an imperfect world, there is no exception. So instead of brooding over other people’s assets, do something for yourself that will boost your self-esteem and confidence.

Simple ways to improve your Body image

1. Learn to accept your body, Your body may not be perfect but you are capable of shaping your body through fitness and a healthy diet
2. Identify what you can and cannot change If you can’t change some imperfections, then divert your focus into developing your other assets.
3. Take note of your triggers and your habitual narratives “The first step in changing negative body image is to be aware of when, why, and how you’re speaking to yourself,” says Farrah Hauke, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in Scottsdale, Arizona.
4. Believe that nothing is impossible Nothing is impossible. If you want to lose weight then go for it- get your inspiration from those who have achieved it.
5. Take risks If you went for something but the outcome wasn’t what you desired, you still learned something. As long as you are improving and trying, your never really failing.
6. Fake it till you make it”. I once read that “it’s easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than it is to think yourself into a new way of acting”. Confidence is a state of mind.
7. Very few things in this world are objectively true. The only thing that matters is what you believe. If you need to lie to yourself, that’s more useful than a thousand little truths that give you reasons why you don’t look amazing.
8. Focus on health and wellness A healthy diet and a stable fitness routine is the secret to ultimate living. Health is Wealth.
9. Prioritize self-care build a skincare regimen, have a scheduled beauty routine, never forget your ME time, learn about clothing that compliments your attributes, when you feel good, you look good.
10. Love comes from within You need to learn to love yourself first and foremost

Why confidence is important

A healthy amount of self-confidence is an important quality to have. A person’s confidence level affects every aspect of their life, from work ethic to their willingness to take risks.

Studies have also shown that physical attractiveness affects a person’s self-confidence. Of course, nobody should rely entirely on their physical appearance for self-confidence, but the fact remains that people’s physical attractiveness and how they feel about their physical appearance play a role in their overall self-confidence.

Benefits of Self-confidence

• Improved performance From athletes to entrepreneurs, confidence in itself is directly linked to improved performance. A lack of self-confidence hinders people from achieving peak performance and makes them more likely to give up when they encounter obstacles.
• Happiness how you view yourself influences how you view the world. People with self-confidence have been shown to be happier in their daily lives than their less-confident counterparts.
• Better social lives Self-confident people are more relaxed, they tend to attract relatable connections and develop lasting friendships.
• Good health Self-confidence is an indicator of good mental health. This often results in them prioritizing themselves and their self-care.

We all have imperfections even the people that think they are “god’s gifts” have their own insecurities, but they do a good job of hiding them and using them to their advantage.

If you take a closer look, you’ll realize you are way more amazing than you think, give yourself more credit. Have the drive to develop yourself. You are capable, unique and you more than enough.

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