If you are like many people, you are struggling a lot when it comes to your appearance. You may not be taking the best care of yourself, and you know something needs to change. You may be dealing with some self-esteem issues in the looks department. That’s okay…most of us deal with this to some degree. There is a lot of stuff hitting us from the outside and within that cause these issues, and it can feel daunting to try and change. But, there is hope…here are just a few tips to increase confidence in your appearance and start taking better care of your body.
Learn to Appreciate Your Body and You’ll Take Better Care of It
The more we value something, the better we are at taking care of it and giving it the attention it deserves. Based on how many of us treat our bodies, it is clear we don’t realize their true value. We take them for granted; we focus on all the things we don’t like about them. But, if we were to wake up tomorrow not being able to breathe properly, move our legs or experience one of a million other problems that could drastically change our world, you would have a whole new perspective and appreciation for health.
Really take the time to think about all the wonderful things about your body and what it allows you to do. Ponder the amazing processes that are taking place 24/7 automatically, without any conscious input from us. When you see it in this new light, you will find it easier to make positive changes that support this amazing biological machine.
When You Look Good You Feel Good..and It’s Okay
While a certain degree of detachment from our physical appearance is a good thing, most of us do care to some degree how we look, and want to improve our physical appearance. And there is nothing wrong with that—you just don’t want to get too obsessive about it. When we look good, we feel good, so there is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to improve how we look.
If you are feeling a bit down about how you look, think about what practical measures you can do take to improve it. If you are feeling a bit self-conscious about a skin problem, start investigating various skin care options, whether it be making changes to your diet, trying out a product or two from the inexpensive brand Neutrogena, or getting professional treatments such as a peel or laser therapy.
If you are not feeling so great about your wardrobe, go out and buy some new clothes. If you have always wanted to wear a bit of make up, but have been hesitant because you have never really worn it before and worry about people commenting, who cares? Just do it. If you are a bit bored with your current hairstyle or color, make an appointment at the salon and change it up.
Again, just remember not to get too carried away with this…when we become too focused on how we look, we create a situation where we are feeling forever dissatisfied. We try to change one thing, and once that problem gets addressed, we turn our attention to our next ‘problem,’ and so on and so forth.
Focus on What You Like about Yourself
It is easy to focus on what we don’t like about ourselves, and we are our own worst critics. But, you look a lot better than you think. It is all a matter of perspective–just think about how one day you can be in a horrible mood and your life seems equally horrible, but the next day you feel better, and all is well again, without anything actually changing. If you start focusing on what you like about yourself, whether it is your juicy, plump lips, great legs or killer smile, you will see yourself in a whole new light.
Take the beauty tips you come across seriously, whether it be optimal skin care, the best make up, or how to get shinier hair. But remember that you will get the most mileage out of your improvement efforts if you can learn to feel more confident about yourself, and more comfortable in your own skin. You’ll lay a strong foundation for these other changes, and be more pleased with the results.
So, start focusing on what you do like about yourself—maybe you have awesomely plump lips, or a fab smile. The next time you look in a mirror, pay some mind to those things too instead of just your perceived flaws.
Why Do You Want to Take Better Care of Yourself
One of the reasons so many struggle to make positive changes in any area of life is a lack of clarity regarding why they want to make such changes. The ‘why’ is like an anchor that keeps us firm on the path to the results we want. Without it, we are aimless, our efforts are half-hearted, and we usually give up at some point. Why do you want to take better care of your body? Why do you want to be different?
If you can take these three tips to heart, you are well on your way to taking better care of yourself, and feeling better about yourself.
Chris says
July 9, 2014 at 10:23 amThis article is a great example of how your body and image reflects your state of mind. Another great blog that correlates with this is a blog written by Antonio de Nicolas entitled “THE POWER OF TRUE HAPPINESS through BODY EXERCISES”. It can be found here: http://www.letyoursoulevolve.com/power-true-happiness-body-exercises-2/
wendy cannarile says
August 11, 2014 at 9:20 amLove this article. I find myself criticizing myself in the mirror on a daily basis! I am taking active steps….one at a time. It’s true what you said. Don’t go overboard. Thank you.