5 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE

I feel I should start this by making a disclaimer: I am by no means all there with feeling confident in my own skin. Its something I really have to work super hard on. I get awkward having my photo taken, I get anxious meeting new people and I hate the thought of people judging me and I have days where I feel absolutely rubbish and my confidence is on the floor. However…. There are a few things I do that massively boost my confidence, lifting it up off the floor and pushing it slightly closer to the sky.

I believe confidence is something self taught and can almost become a habit. I seem to have got myself into the habit of being unconfident. A habit i’m seriously trying to break.This post is as much for me as it is for anyone else. Something I can read when i’m having poop day.  So I thought i’d share a few tips and tricks I do in order to try and break that habit and help you see why being you is 100% the best person you could ever be.

1. EXERCISE

The gym is somewhere I go at least 4 times a week. Its a place where I can focus, push myself and release some endorphins- AKA the brains ‘feel good chemicals’. I feel my most confident after/during a heavy workout or a run. Not to mention I also feel my sexiest bright red with sweat dripping down my face (who would of thought). However you don’t have to run a 10K every week or smash out a sweaty HIIT session everyday to feel the confidence boosting benefits of exercise. Go for a walk, get on your bike, go and play football with your boyfriend or go and do something fun and active with your girlfriends. Breaking a sweat each day keeps me feeling strong. For me the physical benefits are just something that comes along with the mental ones.  Did you know health and fitness isn’t about being shredded, being able to lift 10x your body weight or being able to run a marathon a week? Wow, I know, what a revelation. Its about being the best version of yourself feeling healthy from the inside as well as the outside and of course feeling confident in your own skin.

2. SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE

If there was one thing I could of told my younger self it would be quality not quantity. I always wanted to be a people pleaser and be everyones friend… ok so I still am a people pleaser but i’m learning that you do need to be selfish sometimes. Cut out negative influences in your life, people that don’t support you, motivate you and most importantly are they with you through the low points not just the highs? I could count on one hand the lifelong and rare friendships that bring nothing but positivity to my life. The others are just acquaintances but I thank them nonetheless for making me the person I am right now.  I admire the positive, strong, motivated, and kind and those are the people I know are the type of people I want to surround myself with. Not everyone will like you or what you’re doing, but confidence is not walking into a room thinking everyone will like you, it’s being ok if they don’t.

3. CLICK UNFOLLOW AND GO OFFLINE

I have the most love-hate relationship with social media. I love it because its inspiring, its an online diary full of memories, and its a  community which can uplift you. BUT this is if you’re following the right people. Follow people who give you that inspiration, confidence and motivation. If you’re following someone who doesn’t bring any of things to your life and actually serves you no positive purpose, perhaps think about turning that ‘following’ button back to blue. Always remember that instagram is a place where people show their best selves which is great but no one is that person 100% of the time. Everyone has ups and downs and social media is great for sharing those ups however not so great for showing peoples lows. If you find yourself aimlessly scrolling and comparing (something I definitely do way too much) put your phone down and go offline (perhaps this would be a good time to get a walk or a run in!) and remember you’re comparing yourself to someone who is only showcasing themselves at their optimum.

4. EAT WELL

Food and confidence you may think are two things that are not comparable. But if you think about it, when you’re eating well chances are you feel a whole lot better for it. For me, when I eat a healthy diet it reduces my anxiety and boosts my mood in turn making me feel more confident. I find sugar overloads cause my mood to fluctuate and I feel demotivated and sluggish.  I enjoy fuelling my body with whole foods with the odd treat here and there; all in moderation. I  live on a mainly plant based diet but definitely won’t deprive myself of biscuits and a cocktail when I want too.  I eat balanced therefore my mind is more balanced, I know i’m looking after my body therefore the confidence comes naturally. Not too mention what you put in your body shows on the outside, eating nutrient dense foods will show in your skin, hair and nails which is always a bonus.

5. EMBRACE YOUR FLAWS – NO ONE IS YOU AND THAT IS YOUR STRENGTH

We all have things about ourselves we don’t particularly favour. But always remember you focus way more on those flaws than other people do. We tend to criticise what we don’t like about ourselves rather than focus on the things we love, and more often than not these outweigh the things we put pressure on ourselves to change. I am my biggest critic, I wish my abs were more defined, I wish I wasn’t as sensitive, blah blah blah. BUT, I love my hair, I think I have nice eyes and actually if you took away my sensitivity you’d take away my ability to empathise, my intuition and my kind heart. I also have legs to run with, a voice to speak my mind and arms to hug with, things we way to often take for granted. Changing my mindset from focusing on what I love is a huge challenge but practice makes perfect right?  Being you is the only person you can be, so embrace yourself, love yourself and next time when you find yourself being critical of what you see as your flaws switch it into a positive. Yay for positivity.

 

Liv x

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Act confident and no one will question you”