Improve your self confidence.

Okay so I guess the whole point I started this blog was to show that everyone has flaws and not a single person on this planet is perfect (despite what others may say).

I know how a lack of self esteem can affect your daily life and I know how damaging thoughts can be; slowly but surely taking over your brain and re-wiring it make you truly believe you are not good enough. I’m a sucker for trashy magazines, which revel in showing off celebrity beach bodies and advertising with models who are retouched and photo shopped to an inch of their life, yet while I know this is a false image I continue to compare myself to these ‘flawless’ images.

So what do I do to feel better about myself and improve my self confidence?

1. For starters, there’s no shame in still feeling self conscious or having down days. No-one is going to feel perfect 100% of the time so if you want to spend the day in your joggers, eating pizza, watching Netflix and crying about your relationship status, so be it. Saying this, just because you’re single does not mean there is anything wrong with you and you definitely do not need to be in a relationship to be happy.

2. Find something you’re good at; this could be a hobby or a sport for example. Even better if this is something you can do socially, enabling you to meet new people. Not only with this possibly create a new friendship circle for you, it will also keep your mind occupied.

3. As I mentioned above, if you can find a sport you enjoy, then great! Exercise is one thing that I have found really helps my self confidence. Sure, I don’t have the body of a supermodel and as much as I can hope and dream, I probably never will. Exercise doesn’t have to be about going for long runs or joining a gym; again see you if you can join a local club. One thing that really helped me get back into exercise was DVDs and YouTube videos; if you feel too self conscious to exercise outside your house, start off by building up fitness and body confidence by doing guided workouts in the comfort of your living room!

4. Get a new look. It sounds somewhat superficial but sometimes a new haircut or a make-over/under can really do wonders for your self esteem. You don’t have to do anything major like undercutting or shaving the side of your head…maybe try out a block fringe or a side fringe, a new colour maybe? People are likely to notice and compliment you on the new look, boosting your self esteem and making you believe it too!

5. Smile and laugh! Okay so this sounds almost obvious and it’s like “Well, if I felt good about myself, I would be smiling…” I get it. I honestly do. Obviously if you walk around town with a huge grin on your face or laughing away to yourself on the Tube, you’re going to look a little odd. Again, while it’s great to go out with friends and family and quite literally ‘have a laugh’, just watching something like re-runs of FRIENDS or a stand up comedy show can lift your mood.

6. Find an outfit that you slay in! This could be a sharp suit, an LBD, jeans and a tee; who cares! If you feel good in an outfit, you’ll come across as confident and your brain will start to think, “Hey, I actually look pretty damn good!” Like I said, you don’t have to dress up to the nines, but hey if you want to, go for it; it’s your choice! Personally, I feel best in a basic tee or top, my ahem... “leather” jacket.. (Pleather from Primark…), a pair or skinny jeans and some heeled boots. I feel confident and I feel like myself in said outfit. However, when do I feel sexiest? Wearing a skimpy black dress? No. Wearing nothing but lingerie? No. I’ll tell you when I feel sexiest- in my workout clothes! As I said previously, I don’t have the legs of a runway model, the abs of an athlete or the bum of a certain reality TV star. When I’m wearing my shorts and vest, I've got a visible muffin top, jiggly thighs with cellulite and bingo wings, but you know what? I don’t care! I’m simply thinking about the workout I'm about to or just smashed and how amazing it is that my body allows me to do that. Some people do not have the ability to stand up, let alone do star jumps or squats. One thing I’ve focused on and learned in my recovery is appreciating what the human body can do and more specifically, how fortunate and lucky I am to be able to do these things, compared to others who may not be able to.

7. Embrace your individuality; not one person on this planet is the same (even twins have some differences!) so embrace this and love it. If everyone was the exactly the same, the world would be a pretty boring place so show off the real you! :) 

  

As always, take care and thank you for the support! Keep smiling, because you are all beautiful!

The Flawed Blonde. xoxo

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