How To Build Confidence Through Your Body Image

Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and just felt like eh, or blah. Don't worry we all have. The only way to overcome that hurdle is by embracing your body flaws and all. That seems like such a hard obstacle especially when you are staring at stretch marks or an unsightly pimple. I have news for you, get over it. We all have something that we are insecure about no one on this earth is perfect. Embrace your body and love yourself, no one will be able to explore or embrace it for you.

Our AMAZING fitness expert Shoya Clough shared her personal tips on building confidence through your body image.

Sometimes I have days where I look at myself and I feel blah. There is no other way to word the frustrated image. There might be no change in my body, but my negative feelings begin to dictate my thoughts, which in turn dictate my self-image—even if it’s just momentarily. I’ve realized that both men and woman judge their body image harshly and in many cases, almost equally, suffer from body dysmorphia disorder (adaa.org). So, it is important to keep the confidence flowing and not focus on the negative thoughts, that for whatever human-flawed reason, try to control our minds. Remember, we are masters of our own domain. For those tough days where your confidence is a little low, here are five (5) ways to get your mood up:

1. Feelings, oh feelings, how I loathe you!—feelings stem from our senses and natural emotions, but sometimes our feelings alternate on it’s own and will trap us in emotional bubbles. Ever woken up angry or really happy for no apparent reason? That’s the unpredictability of feelings. Be mindful of this and take control of your thoughts. Tell yourself that you’re being irrational when you start picking at your body and feeling down because you think you should look better. Every battle is first won by the mind, so even if you don’t feel like you look great, fake it like you do.
​
2. Girrl love yo self – Another way to build your confidence towards your body image is to get naked. I’ve mentioned before in a previous blog how embracing one’s nakedness is emancipating.  Look at yourself in a full-length mirror and get familiar with every part. Look at the shades of color that goes into your masterpiece. Look at the curvatures that define your shape. Look with of eyes adoration rather than judgment.  Look at all the time and magic that went into making your beautiful body. To put things in perspective: How can you share your body with people and expect them to appreciate it when you don’t? Why should foreigners know your land when you’re the native? I carried my stretchmarks on my buttocks from my teenage years as a sign of shame. Every time I wore a bikini I felt as though people were staring at them. I remember my boyfriend at the time told me he loved them after I tried to hide them from him by turning the lights off. I was so surprised because I was so self-conscious till then. It took another person appreciating my body for my body image confidence to grow.

3. Try something new—Sometimes we get too focused on the negative things in life and we need to distract ourselves with something fulfilling. Since we know that negative body image is a dangerous negative mindset, we need to replace that negativity with something positive. Try signing up for a yoga class, spin class, kickboxing class, or if you’re daring, pole dancing class. Trying something new can alter one’s mood and confidence.  It creates a feeling of accomplishment and security within yourself.

4. Hair!—Don’t EVER underestimate the power of hair. Screw going on a shopping spree when you can get your hair done instead. Sometimes your image seems blah and a simple trip to your hair salon/barber shop can transform your look and confidence. Ever notice how a guy goes from eh to dyam with a simple haircut? Or how you feel like a complete dud until your trusty stylist slay your tresses making you feel like a powerful queen? Well, that’s the effect of hair on body image confidence. I could throw on a plain tank top and jeans with my hair done and feel like a million bucks, and feel less confident wearing an expensive outfit with drab hair.

5. Chit-chat and coffee – Sometimes we need to be around our close group of friends and talk about the things we struggle with. Friends aren’t just for helping us through break-ups. They help remind us that we all have similar struggles. Often we get caught up in our own minds and when our confidence gets shaken we need another person to help support us. Good friends are like medicine; their relatability and experiences can help soothe our angst. A good support system and some coffee or wine solves many problems including gaining a positive perspective on our body image. 

For more amazing inspirational health tips follow Shoya on her Instagram at @rudegyalskc