It’s so easy to feel down about yourself these days. We live in a society that puts certain things in the spotlight and decides what’s beautiful and what’s not. Not only that, but we also live in this social media age where everyone shares everything. All it takes is a scroll down your Instagram timeline, and you’ll see plenty of models in bikinis with perfectly sculpted bodies, living their best lives. If you don’t look like that, then it can easily get you down, and you start to feel very low in confidence.
But, you can also feel a lack of confidence because of things not related to your looks as well. Sometimes, you have a bad day at work where you might make one tiny mistake, and it haunts your mind for days on end. You fall into a slump and start to feel like you’re not good enough; your confidence takes a massive hit.
The longer you carry on with low-confidence and self-esteem issues, the worse they become. It’ll get to the point where your mind is so negative that you end up forgetting to properly love yourself. So, keeping that in mind, here are a few simple ideas that will help give you a much-needed confidence boost, instantly!
Exercise For 30 Minutes
While some self-confidence issues are linked to other things, it’s fair to say that most of them are related to body image. Especially if, like I said earlier, you’re going on social media and seeing all the slim and trim women in their bikinis and tight summer outfits. The natural reaction to this is to just feel bad about the way you look compared to them, and your confidence dies.
However, you can do one simple thing to make yourself feel a little bit better right away. All you have to do is exercise for thirty minutes. Half an hour of intense exercise is all you need to give yourself a massive confidence boost. Exercise releases endorphins, which is a hormone in your body that’s proven to help you feel more happy and positive. Everyone always feels better after exercising, and you can too! If you really want to give yourself a massive confidence boost, then keep exercising for 3-4 days per week. There’s nothing worse for your body and confidence than just sitting around doing nothing - so be active!
Try A New Hairstyle
A lot of the time, you can give yourself a proper confidence boost by just changing the way your hair looks. Hairstyles come in and out of fashion, and there are loads to choose from depending on what suits you. What’s more, hairstyles are probably the easiest thing you can change about yourself. If you have self-confidence issues because you’ve got bad skin or a big nose, then you can’t really change either of those things in an instant. However, you can change your hair to give yourself a brand new look that makes you feel more self-confident when you look in the mirror.
My advice is to try a look that you’ve never attempted before; do something completely different to what you’re used to. This can help you see yourself in an entirely new light, and make you feel more love for your appearance. There are lots of trendy styles out there right now, but a couple of my favourites are crimped hair, short hair, and braids. Crimped hair is when you use a hair crimper to give your hair a really pretty zigzag pattern that looks wavy. It’s in-fashion right now, which makes it the perfect idea. Short hair is obviously very striking, particularly if you’re used to having long hair. Again, it can help you see yourself in a completely new way. Braids are just very pretty, and you can experiment with different styles as well. Changing the way your hair looks is such an excellent way of bringing out your natural beauty and helping you feel more confident.
Improve Your Posture
Have you ever caught sight of yourself in the mirror when you’re feeling down? If you have, then you’ll undoubtedly see a hunched over figure staring back at you. The more depressed you feel, the more rounded over your posture becomes. We have a tendency to just fall forward when we’re down - it’s almost like we give up and just let our bodies round forwards, so we become hunched and slumped over.
Well, you can improve your confidence by doing the opposite of this and sitting/standing up nice and straight. Improve your daily posture, and you’ll instantly feel much better about yourself. Try it right now and see what I mean. If you sit with your back nice and straight, shoulders set backwards, and your chest out, then you exude confidence. Other people see you as being more confident than you might actually be. It’s simple; carry yourself with a positive posture, and you’ll feel more positive about yourself. Now, when you catch a look at yourself in the mirror, you’ll see a completely different person.
Remind Yourself That You’re Loved
Everyone reading this is loved by someone. Even if you’re single, you’re still loved by family and friends. When you’re not feeling confident, it’s easy to get dark thoughts in your head that keep telling you you’re the worst and you’re not good enough for anyone. This is especially tough for people that are single and maybe struggle to find a partner for whatever reason. Or, if you go on a date but it doesn’t work out; you immediately get that complete lack of confidence.
It’s so important that you remind yourself that you’re loved. Talk to the people you surround yourself with; your family, friends, or maybe even your partner if you have one. Let them know how you’re feeling, and they’ll respond like any good person should - by telling you all the good things about yourself. Sometimes, all it takes is a hug from a loved one to make you feel so much better about yourself. It reminds you that there are people who care about you and love you deeply. This gives you such a mental boost that helps with your confidence.
Do Something You’re Good At
What’s the main underlying theme associated with a lack of confidence? It’s this feeling that you’re not good enough in some way, shape, or form. You might not think you look good enough compared to others, or you may feel less talented than some people. Either way, you just don’t think you have any strengths, and it gets you down.
So, the last thing you can do to give yourself an instant confidence boost is to do things you’re good at. No matter what you may think, everyone is good at something. The beauty of this world is that people display talents in many different ways. Maybe you’re a keen musician, or perhaps you’re really good at writing? Regardless, do whatever it is that you’re best at, and it will make you feel more confident. You get into a positive mindset when you’re doing something and are aware that you’re doing it well!
All these ideas are great for giving you a serious confidence boost when you need it the most. Remember what I said near the beginning of this post; the longer you let your confidence issues manifest, the worse they become. So, by having these ideas to give you an instant boost, you ensure that you’re not always stuck in a negative mindset, and can feel more confident!
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*Collaborative piece
